Chapter 618: Yu Bo, Zhou Yi Has Long Been a Thing of the Past

On the morning of the 8th, Beijing Film Academy was the first to publish the Class of 2016 arts entrance examination admissions brochure on its official website.

The release of this document instantly left countless arts exam candidates utterly devastated:

Because compared to before the Class of 2015, the number of admissions slots for Beijing Film Academy's Class of 2016 had been slashed dramatically — a true plunge.

All undergraduate majors combined only required 437 students, and the performance vocational class had even fewer spots — a mere 30!

Early in the morning, Lin Nan's phone started ringing nonstop;

From the moment he picked up the first call, he knew he could ignore every single one that followed.

The reason was simply that some industry acquaintances he knew but wasn't close with were calling to pull strings and ask favors — of course he wouldn't invite trouble upon himself.

But on the other hand, although Lin Nan hadn't involved himself in the school's arts exam work, he really could pull strings to get people in!

Counting them off — the Directing Department, the Chen Yanxi, the Literature Department, the Cinematography Department, the Academy of Fine Arts — he had pull in all of them;

Even the School of Management, with whom he had less dealings, he could still get a word in — wasn't there still Yue Jun and Guo Fan?

Thinking about it this way, he really had it coming, being the target the industry schemed after and kept an eye on!

"Every year at this time, us big directors who came from Beijing Film Academy all get harassed in a wave. I'm guessing Ning Hao, Director Lu Yang, Guo Fan and the rest are in the same boat.

Of course, the people inside the school are even more the targets of 'corruption' and 'co-optation.' A certain proportion of regular arts exam candidates is kept, and the rest is reserved for the well-connected."

The "well-connected" Lin Nan referred to was actually a broad category — child stars, relatives of school teachers and their outside students, relatives of industry celebrities... all of these counted as well-connected.

And in the end, those who could secure the school's portion of "well-connected" slots were definitely the "well-connected" with even stronger connections.

After all, the film and television industry is this big and this cutthroat — between connections and connections, between well-connected and well-connected, there are also high and low distinctions.

So just because you have someone in the industry or at the school doesn't necessarily mean you can count as one of these "well-connected"!

Of course, for people like Lin Nan, Chen Chen Kaige, Zhang Zhang Yimou, Tian Tian Zhuangzhuang, Gu Gu Changwei, Ning Hao and the like, if they opened their mouths, there'd be absolutely no problem — guaranteed!

"Sigh, thinking about it now, Ma Ma Sichun back then really had rotten luck — of all the majors she could've picked, she had to choose the Directing Department.

Running into my teacher, forget Jiang Teacher Wenli — even Director Gu Gu Changwei wouldn't have been able to pull it off! Hehe…"

Liu Liu Yifei leaned against Lin Nan, nodding with a grin.

"Ugh, another call!"

"Hang up." Lin Nan said casually without even looking.

"It's Director Ning's."

Alright, this call he could take.

Ning Hao had been running promotion for *Year Beast Battle* these past two days, but this animated film clearly couldn't reach the level of *Monkey King: Hero Is Back*.

And during this period, all the promotional activities for New Year and Spring Festival season films — blockbusters and low-budget alike — had all piled up together.

So under these circumstances, Bad Monkey's *Year Beast Battle* looked especially inconspicuous, and the promotional results were doubly hard-won for half the effort!

"Out with it, what's up?"

"Weibo, Weibo — you promised so nicely, how come there's no movement?"

Ning Hao grumbled and cursed, like a — socialite who'd been played, all that affection was only temporary!

Right, Lin Nan remembered — he had promised Ning Hao to help post a Weibo ad, and to bring Liu Liu Yifei along with him.

"Got it, I'll post it in a bit. Been too busy lately, forgot."

"Forgot? Heh. How dare you? I edited post-production for you for so long…"

"Right away, right away, don't be mad. Aren't you also trying to avoid…"

"Avoid what?"

Both ends of the line went instantly silent, because Xing Aina's voice had appeared.

Liu Liu Yifei had already guessed seven or eight parts of it; barefoot, she curled up in Lin Nan's arms, forcing herself not to laugh out loud, but she still couldn't help her shoulders trembling — holding it in completely was just too hard.

"Nothing, Liu Yifei and I will go post the ad for you guys right now."

After speaking, without waiting for a reaction on the other end, Lin Nan hung up immediately. As for how to "fob off" Xing Aina — heh, that was Director Ning's problem.

In less than five minutes, Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei's Weibos were updated; the content was a repost of Ning Hao and Bad Monkey's official Weibo, with the two of them adding their own recommendation.

……

Inside Lin Nan Pictures, third-floor small conference room.

The employee on this floor in charge of reception brought the tea in, then turned and withdrew.

But as she left, she deliberately stole a glance at the industry actress who had come to the company today;

Mm, right, she was the one from memory — not changed at all!

"Jiang Zong, these past years, you've developed… far better than when you were at Zhou Yi."

This sentence carried a thick sense of reminiscence and nostalgia — after all, Zhou Yi was the most unforgettable stretch of his acting career.

Jiang Jiang Xuerou nodded, then sighed.

"Call me Director Jiang — Zhou Yi has long been a thing of the past. Just like Lin Dao said back then, it was too backward, doomed to decline."

Jiang Jiang Xuerou looked at Yu Bo before her and gave a helpless smile:

"It's been a full six years since Lin Dao acquired Zhou Yi.

Among your batch, the one who developed best was Zhang Jin — not only did he marry Cai Cai Shaofen and win the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, his film career also took off;

I even recommended him to Emperor Motion Pictures for a film earlier, and Huo Huo Wenxi didn't refuse… now he's also on the *Running Man* team, solidly A-list."

At this point, Jiang Jiang Xuerou fell silent, and Yu Bo could only manage an awkward smile.

Because during those six years, he had practically faded into the crowd, only occasionally landing supporting roles.

The one decent resource he had was the Hong Kong film *Loyalty of the Yang Clan Generals* released in April two years ago, but a film with 170 million in investment only made 56 million at the box office — a bloodbath!

"Jiang Zong… Director, this time?"

Yu Bo asked, his tone full of expectation yet lacking confidence, but brimming with longing.

When it came to business, Jiang Jiang Xuerou immediately snapped out of her reminiscing state; her aura shifted dramatically, intimidating even Yu Bo across from her.

After all, Jiang Jiang Xuerou's current identity and standing in the industry are nothing compared to what Zhou Yi's general manager once was; the two are utterly incomparable, belonging to different classes.

"Back when Lin Dao acquired Zhou Yi and refused to take on you artists, I suppose I owe you an apology. However, now regarding 'Eternal Love of the Peach Blossoms' over at Hongxing Wu, I will assist with casting. I didn't elaborate over the phone earlier, but it's still a supporting role..."

"I have no problem."

Before Jiang Jiang Xuerou could finish speaking, Yu Bo had already decisively stated his position.

Because over these six years, he knew too well how precious resources were. Without a major company's backing, without connections, without resources... it was truly too difficult to survive.

Jiang Jiang Xuerou nodded appreciatively, but still warned:

"I can only guarantee getting you into the production crew and securing you a role, but exactly which supporting role you get and how much screen time you have depends on your luck.

After all, the final decision rests with Hongxing Wu, with Producer Liu."

"General Manager Jiang... rest assured, I am confident when it comes to period dramas," Yu Bo immediately stated, knowing Jiang Jiang Xuerou understood his meaning.

"It's good that you have confidence, but this time you really cannot be careless. Because your opponents are all former, um, as the internet says, all period drama male gods..."