Chapter 501: La Dong, You're About to Blow a Black Whistle

"Jointly produced by Light, True Joy Dao, and Lin Nan Pictures, the third installment of the 'Trouble' series, 'Hong Kong Trouble,' has officially been greenlit, with casting now open to industry insiders."

"Exclusively produced by Light, director Su Youpeng's debut film, 'The Left Ear,' was greenlit and began casting today, with the lead female role to be selected through open auditions."

The next morning, news about the two films topped the headlines on major portal websites and dominated Weibo's trending searches.

One was an exceptionally popular and best-selling youth romance adaptation; the other was the highly acclaimed sequel to 'Lost in Thailand,' which had grossed 1.267 billion.

Add to that the 300 million investment for 'The Mermaid,' which was about to begin auditions and open casting, and the entire film and television industry grew restless, with countless actors thrilled.

Among these three films, the least desirable resource was 'The Left Ear,' yet it was still a high-quality opportunity.

However, compared to the other two truly top-tier resources, it was indeed a significant step down!

Long ago, Lin Nan had anticipated that once the greenlight and casting news for 'Hong Kong Trouble' were announced, it would inevitably spark discussion among the media, online, and within the film industry.

The facts proved him right.

"'Hong Kong Trouble' is still holding auditions! Isn't this the third installment of the 'Trouble' series? Why hold auditions?"

"For a series, the original cast is always prioritized; that's common sense. 'Lost in Thailand' broke the 1 billion box office mark; only a fool would turn down a sequel!"

"What happened? Where is Wang Wang Baoqiang? Where is Huang Bo? Did Lin Dao replace them?"

"For your information: the sequel rights to the 'Trouble' series were sold by Lin Nan Pictures to Director Xu Zheng; the former no longer holds decision-making power over the films."

That is how the entertainment industry works; as soon as there is a slight issue, everyone starts digging to the root.

Xu Zheng's Weibo, Wang Wang Baoqiang's Weibo, and Huang Bo's Weibo were the hardest hit.

Wang Wang Changtian, Lin Nan, Liu Liu Yifei, and even Ning Hao and Xing Ai, those two, were not spared.

The comments below the Weibo posts were all mentions, asking why 'Hong Kong Trouble' had neither Wang Wang Baoqiang nor Huang Bo.

The media swarmed like flies, buzzing with various reports:

"'Trouble' series lead actors are rumored to be in conflict, leading to a major cast overhaul in 'Hong Kong Trouble.'"

"Currently, Director Xu Zheng, Wang Wang Baoqiang, and Huang Bo have all yet to respond to the matter."

Blankets were spread on the lawn, with plenty of snacks and treats, and the sunlight around ten o'clock was especially bright.

Lin Nan, Liu Liu Yifei, and Watching Shu Chang had originally gone out to play, but upon arrival, the phone calls simply wouldn't stop.

"Media reporters' calls have broken the Bad Monkey's phones; what does 'Hong Kong Trouble' have to do with me?"

"Who told everyone that Huang Bo and Xu Zheng are your 'exclusive actors'? Haha..."

After exchanging a joke with Ning Hao, Lin Nan became serious.

"Don't worry; they will post on Weibo to 'clarify' in a moment."

Although the rift and estrangement were indeed caused by issues of interest, everyone was an adult; they would still give each other the dignity they deserved.

Huang Bo, Wang Wang Baoqiang, and Xu Zheng had all called Lin Nan in succession.

The first two came to state their position, saying they would find a way to save face themselves and give Xu Zheng and the film dignity.

The latter came to ask Lin Nan to act as an intermediary, coordinating the public messaging for Huang Bo and Wang Wang Baoqiang, which must be unified.

Presumably, by now, the several of them were handling it.

"That's good; it's been annoying all day; we even unplugged the front desk phone lines..."

Hearing Ning Hao's complaint, Lin Nan couldn't help but chuckle.

Liu Liu Yifei and Watching Shu Chang, both wearing dresses, sat on the blanket very ladylike.

They were eating snacks while playing on their phones; to be precise, they were reading gossip.

"Look, they've already posted on Weibo," Liu Liu Yifei said with a click of her tongue.

"What did they say? Read it."

Lin Nan didn't lean in to look; instead, he sat cross-legged, picked up a piece of beef jerky, and began eating.

This was made by Old Lin himself; it had been mailed just two days ago, and he had specifically called to remind Lin Nan that the goods were not for him!

Listen to that; is that a biological father?

"Huang Bo said that since the shooting start date couldn't be confirmed, he accepted quite a few scripts and appointments. After 'Mojin: The Lost Legend,' there are new projects."

"Wang Wang Baoqiang's explanation was similar; his schedule has been full for over half a year, with no time to spare," Watching Shu Chang answered quickly.

"Xu Zheng is quite skilled with his wording; he said it was a small matter he hadn't intended to explain, and the three of them would cooperate again in the future!" Liu Liu Yifei sighed.

Lin Nan shook his head. "He is truly shrewd. Never mind, let's not talk about them; we came out to play today."

"Mm-hmm, eat, drink, and have fun. Liu Qianqian, let me take some of the beef jerky from home back, the taste is really good."

"No way. You want to eat and take? That's mine."

"Stingy; you have so much more."

"Hmph, just no."

The highly anticipated big IP 'Ghost Blows Out the Light,' which had been watched since its greenlight, finally saw its first film begin production.

But the media was helpless, because 'Mojin: The Lost Legend' did not plan to hold its production kickoff press conference in the capital, nor would it shoot here first; instead, it went straight to other filming locations.

"Jointly produced by Lin Nan Pictures, China Film, Wanda, and Light, the fantasy adventure film 'Mojin: The Lost Legend,' adapted from 'Ghost Blows Out the Light,' is about to begin production; the crew departed today for the Hulunbuir Grasslands..."

"Shanhai Media artist Especially Reba has left the cast of 'Running Man' to join the 'Mojin: The Lost Legend' crew."

"'Tiny Times 3' will hold its premiere ceremony in the capital tomorrow..."

Several blockbuster films were still in theaters.

'Transformers 4' had already reached 1.8 billion; at this point, its daily box office finally dropped sharply, yet it still had over 20 million.

Right behind it was 'Ip Man 3' with 667 million.

This data has set a new box office record for the "Ip Man" series, and daily box office remains steadily around 12 million, with strong staying power.

Deng Chao's "The Breakup Guru" also reached a total box office of 600 million, closing at 610 million, though daily box office has dropped to 7–8 million.

In short, all three films have made huge profits.

Previously, the low-budget film "Old Boy: The Rise of the Dragon" had caught industry attention—its opening four-day weekend gross just surpassed 100 million, truly a dark horse.

But it likely won't last long, because a fan-driven film is coming soon, and its screening share will surely be slashed further by theaters.

"Mimi, you should be happy! Your film has finally broken through the 600-million mark on its box office record! I thought 'The Time of Our Youth' would get you there, but it didn't."

Ceng Jia, seeing Yang Mi's lack of joy, comforted her.

"I'd rather it never reached 600 million—just be called a terrible movie by everyone…"

Yang Mi was deeply troubled: her film's box office record had finally reached 600 million, yet it was being mocked as a flop.

Looking back, "Love in Seattle" was probably her peak moment—its reception was excellent, and it earned a high box office of 582 million.

"I remember on set, Teacher Xue said he'd consider making a sequel. I wonder… will there be one?"

Yang Mi murmured softly. In her eyes, Xue Xue Xiaolu was a professor at Beijing Film Academy, and she was a student there.

Whether at school or on set, she had always called Xue Xue Xiaolu "Teacher." If there was a sequel, she should have no problem getting the role.

But the moment this thought arose, Yang Mi involuntarily recalled "The Sword of the Brocade," and her mind grew even more tangled.

"We'll see—if there isn't one, fine; if there is, we'll fight for it. Let's go straight to Director Xue Xue Xiaolu—you're a Beijing Film Academy student, so approaching her is perfectly appropriate."

Ceng Jia was sharp; she instantly grasped the unspoken thoughts in Yang Mi's mind.

"Alright, let's talk about it later. First, let's prepare for the premiere of 'The Time of Our Youth 3'."

…………

Lin Nan listened as Ye Ning introduced the film, momentarily stunned.

"Ye Zong said you're planning to invest in Anle Pictures' 'Monster Hunt'?"

"Not investment—cooperation. Jiang Zhiqiang is a top producer—he made 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'Hero,' 'Huo Yuanjia,' 'Cold War.'"

A 3D fantasy film he so strongly recommended would surely attract Wanda's interest to partner with Anle, securing more showtimes during the Spring Festival slot.

Will Lin Dao come to the screening? Today I'm mainly here to discuss this—it's at Wanda's Oriental Film City production base."

"No thanks. Qingdao's too far—I'm too lazy to go. Besides, I don't know Jiang the producer. Ye Zong knows—I've never gotten along with many Hong Kong filmmakers."

Lin Nan declined Wanda's invitation to the "National Cinema Chain Domestic Film Promotion and Screening Event."

This second half of the year, Lu Yang and Guo Fan have no films releasing, so no need to attend theater screenings or negotiate showtimes.

In the past, Lin Nan's films never attended this event either, since he negotiated showtimes directly with theater chains—and they always gave him face.

"Alright then. I hope Lin Dao's future films will shoot at Oriental Film City. Wanda's project is absolutely world-class. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Sure, no problem."

Lin Nan readily agreed.

After hanging up, Lin Nan remembered the several sci-fi films his company had acquired—those sci-fi films would indeed need to shoot there.

Wanda's Oriental Film City production base boasts the world's largest 10,000-square-meter studio and underwater studio—luxurious beyond compare.

Just as Lin Nan picked up the remaining cat food to return to the villa, his phone rang again.

"Oh? Calling after work hours! Director La, now you're copying Chairman Han?"

Lin Nan answered the call with a smile.

"Director La, calling at this hour—what's up?"

"'Transformers 4' has submitted an extension key application—for one month."

Lin Nan instinctively rubbed his temples—Wang Wang Changtian's words had come true.

If La La Peikang had no intention, he would never call—after all, they were on the same side.

"What's the problem?" Lin Nan feigned ignorance.

"Nothing much—just letting you know: if 'Transformers 4' breaks 'The Taking of Tiger Mountain's' box office record this month, there's nothing we can do. It'll just be a bit embarrassing—for us, and for the bureau too."

La La Peikang left it at that—he believed Lin Nan understood his meaning.

"I follow my superiors' lead. If the record's broken, we'll take it back." Lin Nan smiled.

"Haha, good. I called just to notify you—nothing else."

With that, La La Peikang hung up, smiling—everything left unsaid.

Lin Nan looked at his phone screen, picked up the cat food, and walked out again: "Come on, double today—keep eating…"

"Director La's about to blow a whistle! Tsk tsk tsk…"

…………

(End of Chapter)