Chapter 767: Time to Start Retaliation! Casting Complete; Share Allocation!

Honestly, don't even say it; Yue Yunpeng's "acting" in these last few minutes is enough to instantly kill the vast majority of top-tier celebrities in the industry. Hmm, I mean that bunch of traffic stars who didn't graduate from professional acting schools.

"Logically speaking, this kind of character archetype should be called 'deeply affectionate,' but there is a major problem—one he has always been clear about in his heart but is deliberately avoiding: the other party doesn't love him."

"So, this kind of 'deep affection' appears a bit illusory, too self-deceiving. Ending up like this is something he brought upon himself."

"Because from the very beginning, he knew this day would come, yet he continued to dream, to pay willingly, constantly hypnotizing and comforting himself, hoping for the so-called 'sincerity can move even metal and stone'..."

Lin Nan looked at Ning Hao, who was critiquing the character with a straight face, and couldn't help but laugh. In the current environment, a character like the one Yue Yunpeng played is considered a "good man" worthy of sympathy and recognition!

"Deep affection, at the very least, should be a two-way journey; the difficulties along the way should come from objective factors or the outside world, not from the tug-of-war and resistance between the two parties."

Liu Yan picked up the microphone to share her point of view, also supporting the director's critique. The character she played truly never thought about genuinely accepting that "honest man."

"Why do I feel like a premiere for an art-house romantic comedy has suddenly turned into a film seminar? Well, anyway, the two of us are on a two-way journey, hehe."

Liu Yifei leaned into Lin Nan's ear, breathing softly, giggling playfully in a low voice.

And wasn't it just that? After the film finished screening, the Q&A session with the creators inexplicably "ran overtime." They chatted about this and that, chirping away endlessly.

Lin Nan tilted his head slightly, leaning against Liu Yifei's head, and teased in a low voice: "After the New Year's Eve gala ended that year, when I walked you home, you were the one who spoke first and asked me."

"Hmph, I don't remember. You're talking nonsense, that never happened!"

Upon hearing this, Miss Liu instantly sat up straight, denying it with feigned arrogance. She had to occupy the advantageous "high ground" and maintain her posture.

But the "uncomfortable" expression on her face as she held back laughter and the flush on her smooth cheeks already betrayed her inner heart... That year, she really was brave!

The half-hour film creation sharing session finally ended, and the time had just passed 12:00 noon.

After a whole morning, the industry guests and media personnel, who had long been hungry, finally welcomed the premiere luncheon...

"It's hilarious, Feng Xiaogang actually deleted that Weibo post! Is he a sore loser? Or did he take a cold shower and sober up? He shouldn't have broken into a cold sweat, right? Hahaha..."

Sitting at the dining table, Ning Hao looked at his phone as if he had discovered a new continent, mocking without restraint.

"The movie hasn't even been released yet, and because his brain got hot from winning a big award, he started scolding the media, scolding film critics, and belittling the audience! Does he still want his movie to be released? Does he still want box office returns? After sobering up or being reminded, could he not delete the Weibo post immediately?"

Lin Nan laughed as he took over the conversation while helping Liu Yifei pour some wine.

"It doesn't matter whether Feng Xiaogang deletes his Weibo or not; in any case, Wanda doesn't think highly of this Huayi film."

Liu Xiaobin's abrupt sentence made everyone at the table freeze for a moment. But instantly, everyone recovered and went back to what they were doing... In any case, the topic ended there.

Because even Liu Yifei could hear the subtext; after all, Liu Xiaobin is the person in charge of Wanda Cinemas.

And *I Am Not Madame Bovary* hasn't even held its domestic premiere yet, and he already doesn't think highly of it? He hasn't even seen the product, yet he says he doesn't think highly of it... This is clearly aimed at the production company!

Lin Nan noticed the subtle "inquisitive" glances cast by Wang Changtian, Ning Hao, and Xing Ai. He ignored them and continued eating with Liu Yifei; well, they even clinked glasses with tacit understanding.

What else could be uncertain? That's right, it's exactly what you think—Wanda is starting its retaliation!

"Lin Nan, what do you think of this film's box office market?" Wang Changtian decisively changed the topic and looked over.

"A big IP, the filming is above the passing line, it's a romantic comedy, and the actors are all household names. Plus, there are no similar competing products during the National Day slot, so the box office should be quite good."

"It is indeed quite good. Wanda will also give certain preferential treatment in terms of scheduling. Chairman Wang, you can rest assured." Liu Xiaobin followed Lin Nan, smiling as he stated his position.

"That's good. My confidence has suddenly increased by a large margin, haha..." Wang Changtian raised his glass to toast everyone at the table; Enlight Pictures is the main controller of the film, after all.

At the same time, over at Huayi.

Wang Zhonglei rushed into Wang Zhongjun's office in a flurry. "It's settled. At least there won't be large-scale related public opinion online. At most, there will only be individual voices; just suppress them."

"Also, I've already notified the crew's accompanying staff. I'll remind him when he wakes up. It's fortunate that Xu Fan had his account, otherwise, deleting the Weibo post would have been a hassle!"

"So many years have passed, he's already 58, and he still can't change this habit. Sooner or later, something will be waiting for him, educating him until this 'Little Steel Cannon' completely explodes and misfires..."

Wang Zhongjun scolded with a cold face, looking displeased.

"What about next?"

"Since he won a big award, let's use this to increase the film's promotion and build momentum for him; let's start from the moment the crew returns to Beijing. After all, having an 'international big director' is a good thing."

Speaking of business, Wang Zhongjun put away his cold expression. Because the achievements Feng Xiaogang made at the A-list film festival did indeed feed back into Huayi; look, the stock price has started to turn red.

"Good, I'll have the media go to 'pick him up'!" Wang Zhonglei nodded, offering the suggestion.

"Hmm, 'leak' their return flight time to Fan Bingbing's fans as well; it will be even livelier."

After the premiere, Lin Nan, who had returned home with Liu Yifei, didn't continue to stay home. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but Yue Jun's phone calls were constantly urging him.

The audition work for *Operation Red Sea* had reached the final stage. As the producer, he couldn't just show his face two or three times. At the very least, he had to come to the scene now to sit in, observe the auditions, and participate.

There was no other way; Lin Dao had to rush to the company at 2:00 PM.

He saw that there were still quite a few actors waiting for auditions downstairs, but compared to half a month ago, they were all second-tier or lower-tier talents.

After going up to the third floor, Lin Nan saw even more actors directly.

Facing one smiling face after another, carrying more or less awe and flattery, he could only nod in return, because even if they looked a bit familiar, he couldn't name them.

"Eh? Are you that... the one who acted in the same show as Jiang Xin?"

Suddenly, Lin Nan saw a face from an ethnic minority, which left a bit of an impression. But there is a difference between real life and the screen, after all.

"Hello, Lin Dao. I didn't have any scenes with Teacher Jiang Xin. My name is Reiza. I also acted in Director Lu Yang's *My Spectacular Theatre*."

Hearing this name, Lin Nan instantly remembered. *My Spectacular Theatre* was a long time ago; he had only visited the set once or twice, and at that time, Lu Yang hadn't signed with Lin Nan Film Industry yet.

"Hmm, then I wish you success in your audition."

"Thank you, Lin Dao."

Lin Nan nodded with a smile and walked into the large conference room.

Outside, in the eyes of many surrounding actors, another "connected person" opponent had just appeared for the audition!

Just after stepping through the door, Lin Nan discovered that the actor currently auditioning was actually an acquaintance—the "Add Money Ascetic," Brother "Run."

Looking at Lu Yang in the director's seat, he had a "home field" posture, with a smile on the corners of his mouth. Meanwhile, the people from the Navy Political Department, China Film Group, and Shanghai Film Group were all watching the auditioning actor with serious expressions.

After everyone nodded to each other, Lin Nan took his seat.

"Lin Dao, among the main core characters now, only the sniper hasn't been decided yet. The people from the Navy Political Department feel that the age range can be appropriately expanded;"

"Because active-duty special forces soldiers who go on overseas missions are basically highly educated, proficient in multiple languages, and familiar with the operation of equipment under all special combat modes. Their age is generally around 25 to 35."

"And this character is set as an active-duty 'new recruit' with outstanding strength and a relatively arrogant personality, so we can pick from actors aged 25 to 30..."

Guo Fan leaned over and whispered.

"Oh, then this Zhou Yiwei and Zhu Yawen are both a bit too old."

"Lin Dao, what kind of joke are you making? He's just auditioning..."

As he spoke, Guo Fan pushed over several audition resumes:

"Currently, among those auditioning for that role, these are the only ones worth picking: Zhang Ruoyun, 28, also has a bit of an arrogant edge; Qin Junjie... Bai Yu..."

"Let's go with the first one." Lin Nan nodded and made the decision.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure, it's just a supporting role with a few shots."

The auditions continued until after 6:00 PM. Nearly thirty actors had finally finished auditioning, and it was time for Lin Nan and the others to get off work.

With this, the casting work for *Operation Red Sea* was completely finished.

Even if there were still some scattered small roles left undecided, there was no need for further auditions; the Navy Political Department would directly call people from within the system.

As for Reiza, whom Lin Nan found familiar, she was quite lucky. Lu Yang really did pull some strings and gave her a supporting role as a female navy soldier. Of course, she had quite a few shots, being a drone pilot, after all.

According to the plan, the casting list would be officially released to the public in the next few days, and all the core creators would have to "set sail" on time with the navy next month!

The closer it got to the National Day holiday, the livelier the entertainment industry became.

The next morning, the first-week box office of *Cock and Bull* was pinned to the top headline of the film and entertainment section. This was also the only big director's work before the start of the National Day slot.

The 180 million first-week data did not disgrace the eye-catching selling points like "all-star cast of acting powerhouses, directed by Cao Baoping, produced by Lin Nan Film Industry." It was very impressive!

Among the three films released on the 14th, *Anti-Corruption Storm 2*, which was the only one to linger for a few extra days, finally gave up and settled at 208 million, being "forced" off the screen.

With this, the entire film market seemed to have swept the floor to welcome the guests, waiting for the several commercial films of the National Day slot.

Among them, the momentum of *L. O. R. D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties* was even stronger than in previous days, because its female lead, Fan Bingbing, had just won an international Best Actress award!

When Lin Nan and Liu Yifei set off for Bad Monkey Pictures, the Weibo hot search list had already been flooded with information about Feng Xiaogang, Fan Bingbing, and others.

There was a major traffic jam at the airport, and a massive number of media and fans had blocked the exit completely; even quite a few traffic police had gone there.

In the eyes of the vast majority of people in the industry, Feng Xiaogang was really showing off this time, looking as if he had really brought back an Oscar for Best Picture. With this treatment and this formation, there was truly no one else!

Just past 10:00 AM, at Ning Hao's home.

Huang Bo had arrived even earlier than Lin Nan and Liu Yifei. After all, it was his directorial debut, so naturally, he was a hundred times more attentive.

"Aiya, Producer Liu is here. Do you want to invest a little in this rookie director who is also your old classmate?"

Just after getting out of the car, Liu Yifei heard Huang Bo's teasing. She wasn't polite either and immediately replied with a smile: "It's not impossible, it depends on what your film's budget is?"

Today, Miss Liu was wearing a khaki trench coat, a thin sweater underneath, and loose wide-leg jeans. Her long hair draped over her shoulders, looking incredibly casual and free; after taking off her sunglasses, her face was full of smiles.

"Just for those words of yours, Yifei, I have to report the budget 20% higher!"

"As long as Director Ning and Head Writer Xing don't have a problem, I don't have an opinion. Do as you please." Lin Nan closed the car door and complained indifferently.

"If he dares to cheat me out of my money, I'll kill him!" Ning Hao stood at the villa entrance holding a thermos, staring at Huang Bo with a slightly "warning" look.

"That's just talk, I'm just joking, don't take it seriously."

Huang Bo laughed and backed down. His movie was still counting on Ning Hao's help, so he couldn't afford to offend this "henpecked husband"!

"Let's go, let's go inside and settle the business first. Also, my company has a bit too much going on next year, so this time *The Island*, let Red Star Dock participate."

Lin Nan said with a smile; this was something he and Liu Yifei had already discussed at home.

"Good fellow, so it really is Yifei investing?" Huang Bo was delighted upon hearing this.

"Lin Nan Film Industry has a bit too many projects, so this time Red Star Dock will represent the two of us in participating in the production, just like *Never Say Die* a while ago." Liu Yifei nodded with a smile; anyway, she and Lin Nan didn't distinguish between each other.

Five minutes later, in the study.

Lin Nan, Liu Yifei, Huang Bo, Ning Hao, and Xing Ai sat in a circle, each with a budget in hand.

Compared to the budget table Xing Ai gave Huang Bo the first time, this one was more detailed and accurate.

"150 million?"

"Right, Huang Bo already has some general intentions for the roles." Xing Ai nodded and said.

"Lin Dao, this time I'm the director, don't you interfere with the casting!"

Huang Bo said with implication. Everyone present understood what he meant; after all, he was also a person in the industry known for having extensive friendships across the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Lin Nan nodded and glanced at Huang Bo: "Hmm, I will respect your choice as a director. But for some actors with principled problems, you know!"

"Of course."

After nodding in affirmation, Huang Bo laughed again, "That, you are all capital, you have more money than me. This time the bulk depends on your two companies, and it's a combination of big directors and big producers, tsk tsk tsk..."

"Stop talking nonsense, tell us how much you can put up?" Ning Hao urged.

"Hmm, 30 million!"

"And this time I'm only taking an actor's salary; I reported a 'friendship price' for the director's salary, so as not to make the accounts unclear." Huang Bo was thoughtful and reported it in advance.

Lin Nan and Ning Hao looked at each other, then looked at the people beside them with tacit understanding.

"Then Red Star Dock will take 40% of the share, 60 million!" Liu Yifei cast a smile toward Xing Ai.

"Hmm, let's go with Yifei's idea, and Bad Monkey will take the remaining 40%."

Xing Ai returned the smile. A comedy film with a cost of 150 million was settled just like that.

"Speaking of which, this *The Island* also has a powerful production lineup! Bad Monkey, Red Star Dock, Huang Bo's... By the way, are you investing through your studio or your company this time?" Ning Hao asked Huang Bo, who had opened a company and also had his own studio.

"The studio, I guess." Huang Bo replied.

"Then leave the producing to me and Yifei? Together?"

Xing Ai looked at Liu Yifei as if inviting her. Miss Liu was stunned for a moment, then nodded without refusal, agreeing with a giggle: "Okay."

At this moment, Lin Nan and Ning Hao looked at each other, both wearing helpless smiles; the two of them had absolutely no sense of presence and were completely ignored by their own producers! ===== CHAPTER 768 =====