Double deal

After the script was finalized, Lu Yan wrote a detailed plan under the guidance of Su Mo, and then flew to Los Angeles with Song Hui and Li Ran.

Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA, is the headquarters of Twentieth Century Fox. Among the seven major film companies in Hollywood, 20th Century Fox was the latest to be founded and has experienced the most setbacks, almost going bankrupt several times. It was not until the 1960s, when Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch acquired the troubled Twentieth Century Fox, that the company began to develop steadily and rapidly.

Twentieth Century Fox produces and distributes popular classic movies, such as “The Sound of Music” and “Titanic” and other masterpieces, as well as the “Star Wars” series, “X-Men” series and so on.

Twentieth Century Fox was Lu Yan’s first stop for seeking U.S. funding for “Homeland.” Su Mo said that among several Hollywood film companies, Twentieth Century Fox’s distribution manager George Stryker had the deepest friendship with him. In addition, this company has also invested in several Chinese-language films, although the final box office results were not very satisfactory. In addition, 20th Century Fox has two distinctive subsidiaries, one of which is Blue Sky Studio, which produces 3D feature film animation. So far, the three 3D animations “Ice Age”, “Robot” and “Ice Age 2” produced by Blue Sky Studio have been very successful.

At this moment, in the office of the 20th Century Fox headquarters building, distribution manager George Stryker and production manager Mike Davis received Lu Yan and his party.

Lu Yan’s English was very good, so he didn’t bring a translator with him. After introducing themselves to each other, Lu Yan started to talk about the film and shooting plan straight to the point. At the same time, he placed the copied script and plan in front of the two managers. Originally this was supposed to be the director’s job, but as Lu Yan was one of the investors of the film, and he was involved in the entire process from purchasing the script to final revisions, he was very clear about the details and processes, so he finally decided to explain it. He would take the lead, with Li Ran as a supplement.

After listening, the two managers started talking quietly while flipping through the scripts and plans. Lu Yan and Li Ran sat calmly, waiting quietly.

After a while, production manager Mike Davis spoke first, “Mr. Lu, we are quite interested in this story. Why don’t you consider selling the script to us directly?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I’m sorry, we don’t have such plans at the moment. I still hope that we will make the movie.”

Mike Davis shrugged. He knew there was little hope, so he just said casually, “So, how do you want us to cooperate?”

Lu Yan sat up straight, “We hope that your company will invest 50% of the capital, and provide us with a 3D special effects team and the distribution rights of the film in North America.”

“The investment amount of $150 million is not a small amount, but it is still within my purview, and the 3D special effects team and distribution rights are not a problem. The question is, why should we believe that this movie is worth our investment?”

Lu Yan said confidently, “You also said just now that you are very interested in this story. A good story is half the success of a movie, not to mention that the 3D movie market is becoming increasingly popular, but there has not yet been a 3D movie of sufficient weight. Your company is very successful in the production of 3D animation, and I think you will be equally interested in investing in excellent 3D feature films. The shooting of every movie is an adventure, and no one dares to say what the outcome will be before it is officially released. However, benefits often come with risks, and your company has never lacked the spirit of adventure. “

The two managers looked at each other and talked together for a few words. The person who spoke later was George Stryker, the distribution manager. “Young man, you are very courageous. To be honest, I admire you very much. We agreed to cooperate with you, but it was not just you who convinced me. I know that another investor in this film is Mr. Su, he is one of the most successful businessmen I know, and his investment vision has always been unique and effective. Now that he is involved, we are willing to take this risk.”

Lu Yan lowered his head and smiled secretly. This reason was indeed irresistible. However, if he knew about his relationship with Su Mo, would he reconsider this reason?

In any case, the negotiation had been basically successful at this point. Lu Yan and Li Ran stood up together, “I believe your company will not regret this investment.”

“I hope so.” George Stryker and Mike Davis also stood up, and the four shook hands with each other. “Young man, I hope we can have a happy cooperation.”

“Happy cooperation!”

This was a pleasant negotiation, even smoother than Lu Yan expected. Although he did put his best hope in 20th Century Fox, he did not expect that the negotiation would go so smoothly, and there would be no need to arrange the next trip.

The three stayed in Los Angeles for a few more days until the formal contract was negotiated and signed. Twentieth Century Fox also sent an executive producer to oversee and manage their portion of the money invested. As for the 3D special effects team, they could wait until the film was basically formed before arranging it.

The next specific matters of film shooting were the responsibility of Li Ran as the director. Although Lu Yan was the default protagonist and one of the copyright owners and investors of the script and he had a great say in the movie, he understood that the director was the leader of a movie, regardless of whether the opinions of others were good or bad. No one should interfere with the director’s work, which was related to issues such as the continuity and style of the film. Lu Yan had no intention of overstepping his authority, not to mention that he had other things to be busy with now. Because “The Legend of Wang Xuance” would soon start to be released and promoted.

“The Legend of Wang Xuance” was scheduled to be released during the Lunar New Year period. Although there were several large-scale Lunar New Year films during the same period, director Chen Li would not lose to anyone else once his name was mentioned.  Besides, the craze for the previously released movie “Uncontrollable” starring the protagonist Lu Yan had not subsided. Discussions about “Uncontrollable” and Lu Yan in major website forums had not subsided. Lu Yan had once again struck out with a strong attitude.

Different from the delicate and innocent nature of “Uncontrollable”, “The Legend of Wang Xuance” itself was a movie with a strong atmosphere of personal heroism. The short six-to-seven-minute promotional video was cut with great momentum, and the two main scenes of borrowing troops and destroying the country alternated with the appropriate soundtrack. The confident, romantic and impassioned character in the literary drama; the decisive killing and cold solemnity in the martial arts drama unfold the submerged and magnificent history like a picture scroll.

Just watching this short promotional video made people excited and unable to stop, and it strongly inspired people’s self-confidence and pride. Many movie fans were counting the days and looking forward to the upcoming release date.

In this atmosphere, Lu Yan received separate invitations from two fashion magazines.

This time the invitations were issued to “Harper’s Bazaar” and “ELLE MEN Ruishi”. “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Rui shi” were both first-line men’s fashion magazines. The former was the most influential high-end men’s magazine in China and the only magazine that measures male charm based on “business status” and “career taste”. The latter paid more attention to establishing a man’s image of wisdom, style, and charm. It not only focused on external material success, but also focused on the man’s strong heart and true temperament that dared to do something.

There were a few male stars in China who could appear on the covers of these two magazines, but there were indeed not many who could receive invitations at the same time. It could only be said that during this period, Lu Yan had two movies that received great attention in succession, which suddenly accumulated a high degree of popularity for him. Moreover, Lu Yan had always had a very positive image, and with his handsome and extraordinary appearance, he had always been very popular in fashion magazines.

Two single letters and two interviews, Lu Yan spent almost all his time after promotion on this matter.

Two days before the cover shoot, Lu Yan received a phone call, which was almost a timely call.

As soon as the call was connected, there was a burst of laughter from the other side, “Congratulations to Actor Lu for setting up his own studio.”

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment. The voice was a bit familiar, but he hadn’t heard it for a long time, and then he quickly remembered it. When he was shooting the cover of “Wisdom” at the end of last year, he still thought of this person. He had been busy since then and shot several magazine covers for the inside and outside, but he didn’t think about him much again.

Sure enough, the person on the other end of the phone said directly, “I’m Ren Yanfei, does Mr. Lu still remember me?”

Lu Yan laughed softly, “Of course I remember.”

Ren Yanfei smiled again and said, “I just came back from Alaska. I went there for half a year. The scenery there is so beautiful. As soon as I came back, I heard that Actor Lu had started working alone. How about I fulfill my original promise? Does Mr. Lu need a dedicated photographer now? “

Lu Yan smiled happily, “Of course, I can’t ask for it!”

That afternoon, Ren Yanfei went to Lu Yan’s studio and first showed off some photos he took in Alaska. This time his photos not only included landscapes, but also more people. Compared with his previous style, there were more changes, but they were still wonderful.

Ren Yanfei smiled and said, “After working with you last time, I think it’s interesting to take pictures of people. This time I was invited by a magazine to take travel photos. I’m trying to put people into my photography world, I think the effect is pretty good, what do you think?”

Lu Yan looked at each one carefully and said, “Very good, I think it’s great! Well, your photos always feel more spiritual.”

“Haha, I think so too. I showed a few sample photos to the magazine and they were very satisfied. However, I still think that the photographer and the model should have more tacit understanding and interaction. I still feel that cooperation with you is the most effective. So I came back. How about it? Does the original promise still count? “

“Of course it counts. And I urgently need a dedicated photographer like you.” Lu Yan finally put down all the photos he had read and said with a smile.

“I knew from the beginning that you would not be too far away from this day. Sure enough, you didn’t keep me waiting for too long, haha.” This time they met again, Lu Yan felt that Ren Yanfei was more cheerful, he didn’t know what kind of experience he went through to change like this..

“Then let’s talk about cooperation.” Lu Yan entered business mode.

The two people already had a tacit understanding, so they quickly decided on a method of cooperation.

Lu Yan would pay Ren Yanfei a certain amount of basic salary every year, no more, no less. The condition WAS that when Lu Yan needed a photographer, Ren Yanfei must work for him first, and each shooting would be billed separately according to the intensity and duration. At other times, Ren Yanfei was still free and could do what he wanted. Since Ren Yanfei haD the habit of going out all year round, he agreed to say hello and inform him of his whereabouts before going out every time. At the same time, Lu Yan would also let him know in advance when he needed a photographer.

This clause had certain constraints and inconveniences for both parties, but good photographers, especially those who were highly compatible with themselves, could be said to be rare. Besides, although Lu Yan often needed to take pictures, he usually prepared in advance. It was rare to be notified today that he would take pictures tomorrow, so such a timeline could still be arranged.

As for Ren Yanfei, as a photographer, he also hoped that having good models would allow him to take more exciting photos. What’s more, although he enjoyed freedom, he had traveled to too many places over the years and was a little tired. It was good to stop and rest.

So both sides came to an agreement happily.

So this time, the single cover shooting of the two magazines was handed over to Ren Yanfei.

Some big-name celebrities have the habit of bringing their own photographers, and magazines have no objection at all, as long as the photos taken meet their requirements.

The two collaborated again after more than two years, and they still had a good understanding.

Ren Yanfei was indeed an excellent photographer and had a thorough understanding of the styles of various magazines. The two sets of photos taken three days before and after had completely different styles. The one given to “Harper’s Bazaar” was more composed, with the elite look of a successful person, both reliable and extremely charming. The group in “Rui shi” was much sexier. Both their eyes and smiles, including their slightly open gestures, were indescribably charming.

Both magazines were very satisfied. Even if these two cover photos with completely different styles but equally attractive were published in the same issue, readers wouldn’t have to worry about choosing between them. It would be a case of selection disorder and they had to take them all.

Ren Yanfei simply posted all the remaining photos that were not selected by the magazines on Weibo, and they were retweeted in large numbers in an instant. Fans knew that Ren Yanfei was Lu Yan’s exclusive photographer and left messages one after another, expressing their hope that Ren Yanfei would be the best photographer in the future. Great photographers could get a lot of benefits.

Ren Yanfei smiled proudly when he faced the attention that exceeded 10 million in one day.

Finalized

Su Mo’s support gave Lu Yan great confidence. Once the most important financial issue was solved, he would have more confidence to prepare for other things.

Lu Yan first contacted Li Ran. When he bought the script rights, Li Ran was also with him. At that time, Li Ran expressed his hope that he could be the director when the film started filming, even if he was not the lead director.

The director was one of the most important factors in the success of a movie.

Lu Yan still knew very well what Li Ran’s abilities were. In the era before Lu Yan was reborn, Li Ran was already an internationally renowned director, and a film he later directed won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. At that time, his personal style was already very obvious. He was particularly good at feature films and his story-telling techniques were particularly good. Even simple stories would be particularly interesting and vivid when shot by him.

Although today’s Li Ran had not yet reached that height, and even among domestic directors, he was still unable to compete with Wang Yi, Chen Li and others, but that was mostly because his qualifications were not enough, not because his ability was not enough. Coupled with Li Ran’s relationship with the Su family, as the saying goes, good things don’t go to outsiders, so Lu Yan had no reason not to give priority to Li Ran.

Lu Yan believed that Li Ran had the ability to tell the story well. As for the 3D special effects, he could just hand it over directly to the special effects team.

Li Ran was indeed very excited. He was already very interested in the script. What’s more, this movie was prepared and produced by the studio in which boss Su had a stake. Boss Su financed it. Li Ran had known about the relationship between Lu Yan and Su Mo for a long time, and he didn’t think anything of it at first. Anyway, he supported all boss Su’s decisions, even if he was with a man, it didn’t matter. But ever since Su Jue called him and told him the shocking truth, he had a particularly subtle feeling when he saw Lu Yan again.

After the matter was initially settled, Lu Yan and Li Ran, together with the original author Yan Ke, spent a week in the studio making final revisions to the script. During this period, Su Mo would occasionally come to the studio for visits. As for who he was visiting, of course Li Ran would never be too pretentious to think it was him.

Probably because of the presence of outsiders, Su Mo and Lu Yan were quite restrained and did not do anything too intimate. However, the overly tacit interaction and the overly sweet atmosphere between the two make it almost feel like it was superfluous to breathe in the same space as them.

Yan Ke, this weird guy, probably had a lot of nerves and seemed to have no feelings.  But Li Ran knew the relationship between them. Besides, he had always paid close attention to Su Mo, so he could naturally see all the clues. For example, when they were discussing the script, Su Mo never interrupted. When he came, he stood silently behind Lu Yan and listened to their discussion.

But whenever Lu Yan needed something, such as a pen, information, or a cup of tea when his mouth was dry, Su Mo could quickly and naturally find it and hand it to him. In addition to Su Mo listening carefully to what Lu Yan said, it also meant that they had a clear understanding of each other. Sometimes Lu Yan took it over without looking back and continued, sometimes he would raise his head and smile at him. The smile Su Mo returned to him was particularly gentle and affectionate, something Li Ran had never seen on Su Mo’s face before.

It was not that Su Mo was indifferent to them. In fact, in Su Mo’s eyes, Li Ran and Su Jie were both like younger brothers. Su Mo always indulged and cherished the people he regarded as family. But how could the eyes he looked at his brother and the eyes he looked at his lover be the same?

What made Li Ran feel bad about his heart the most was when he accidentally caught Lu Yan and Su Mo kissing. At that time, Li Ran was getting ready to go to the bathroom. At this time, there were only the three of them left in the studio. In fact, Li Ran was ready to leave, but he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach and wanted to go to the bathroom to deal with it. He thought that everyone else, including Lu Yan and Su Mo, had already left. So when he opened the bathroom door and saw that scene, you can imagine the shock.

Su Mo’s waist was leaning on the sink, and his clothes were not neatly worn like Lu Yan’s. His upper body was slightly tilted back, revealing his forehead, which was half covered by messy bangs, and his slightly closed eyes, which were long. The eyelashes were trembling, and the corners of the hair and eyebrows were wet with water. Lu Yan leaned forward, holding his waist with one hand and supporting his back with the palm of his hand. The other hand reached through the shirt that was loosened at the waist. It was self-evident what he did after he reached in. .

The two were so immersed in the kiss that they didn’t seem to notice the intrusion of a third person. Lu Yan’s back was turned to Li Ran, but his expression could be seen in the mirror on the wall.  Lu Yan’s eyes were also slightly closed, and he lowered his head and turned the angle as he went deeper. The bathroom was very quiet, and the only sounds that could be heard were the smacking of lips and tongues, and the low gasps of the two kissing too fiercely.

In addition, Li Ran could also hear his own chaotic heartbeat. After the initial shock, he fell into a dilemma. On the one hand, he was embarrassed to continue watching, but on the other hand, he was worried that the noise caused by leaving would startle the two people, which would be extremely embarrassing.

When he was in trouble, Lu Yan in the mirror suddenly opened his eyes. Li Ran, who was facing the mirror, was startled. Then he saw the corners of Lu Yan’s eyes curled up, as if he was smiling. Li Ran was startled. He didn’t care about whether he would be discovered by the other party, nor did he care about his still uncomfortable stomach. He pushed open the bathroom door and rushed out. It wasn’t until he rushed out of the studio and left the building that his mood gradually calmed down.

Then Li Ran felt heartbroken, and suddenly understood Su Jue’s mood when he called him that day. At this time, he really needed to find someone to talk to, so Li Ran took out his phone and pressed six on the shortcut key. After the call was connected, he said, “Ah Jue, what are you doing? Come out to drink.”

Hearing the sound, Su Mo also opened his eyes and pushed Lu Yan. After Lu Yan let go, he gasped slightly and said, “There was someone just now!”

Lu Yan took his hands out of his clothes, licked his bangs that had been splashed with water just now, and raised the corners of his mouth, “It’s Director Li.”

Su Mo was silent for a moment, his expression a little complicated.

Lu Yan smiled slyly, “Director Li has known about our relationship for a long time, so it’s okay for him to see it. Besides, I don’t like the way he looks at you. It’s okay for him to see it with his own eyes and recognize the truth. You are my person.”

Su Mo felt angry and funny, and he arched his eyebrows and said with a smile, “How jealous is Mr. Lu? Xiao Ran and Xiao Jue are both my younger brothers. He only respects me as a younger brother does to an older brother, where did you think you were going?”

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Lu Yan pretended to be serious, “Director Su have you never heard what possessiveness is? Speaking of which, there is Chen Yue, he is also a fan of yours.”

Su Mo said, “I heard from Xiao Jue that Chen Yue is now your fan. Mr. Lu should be satisfied. Then should I also express my dissatisfaction?”

“No need,” Lu Yan squinted and touched the corner of his mouth, “As long as you have me as your biggest fan, it’s enough.”

Su Mo put his hands on the sink, raised his eyes slightly and laughed softly, “Mr. Lu, does this count as only allowing the state officials to set fires but not allowing the people to light lamps?”

Lu Yan raised his eyebrows and said domineeringly, “So what!”

Su Mo smiled low, straightened up a little with his hands, and whispered in his ear as if sighing, “I will allow you to be the state official.”

Lu Yan’s eyes darkened, and he slowly leaned over to push him back.

Su Mo raised one hand, put his elbow on his chest, and whispered, “Go back first.”

Lu Yan’s voice was a little hoarse, “Do you think I can go back like this?”

Su Mo looked down and felt a little warm. The hand on his chest instead hugged his neck and sighed indulgently, “Come on.”

When they met in the studio the next day, Lu Yan looked at Li Ran with a strange look in his eyes. He leaned in front of him and whispered, “Director Li didn’t use the bathroom yesterday. Is everything okay?”

Hearing this, Li Ran spit out a mouthful of water and coughed for a long time before he recovered. He beat his chest with lingering fear. Lu Yan was already discussing with Yan Ke in a serious manner as if nothing had happened.

Oh my God, Li Ran had the same emotion as Qin Feng. How could he think this kid was innocent in the first place?!

A week later, the script for “Hometown” had been revised.

The final draft was not divided into two parts, but decided to be made directly into a movie. The story in the first half remains basically unchanged, but was more concise and condensed on the original basis. A lot of changes were made to the second half, which basically subverted the original story.

After humans discovered the revitalized Earth, they asked the protagonist who arrived first to cooperate with the entire fleet to complete the landing. The protagonist told the current residents of the earth about this situation and facilitated negotiations between them and humans. However, the peace talks were not that easy to reach. Both sides had clauses that they were unwilling to compromise on, and the negotiations were deadlocked for a while.

At this time, alien creatures also discovered this treasure and wanted to occupy the earth. Facing the critical moment of life and death, human beings who originally fought separately reached a reconciliation with the current residents of the earth, and united to fight against foreign enemies. In the most critical battle, the protagonist rushed into the enemy camp under the cover of a fleet and used the biological weapon he developed to complete the final blow.

The protagonist’s sacrifice led to the final victory. Human beings and current residents also reached reconciliation during this war and agreed to coexist peacefully.

However this was not the real ending.

Fifty years later, humans and new residents once again fought for the ownership of the earth. This time, the person who stood in front of the new residents and fought for their survival was the grandson of the protagonist who sacrificed himself for the peace of his hometown.

Peace is always short-lived, war is eternal!

However, no matter what era or background, there will always be people who continue to fight for peace!

Of course, this was just the final draft of the script. What kind of adjustments would be made during the actual shooting depended on the director’s skill and arrangements.

Investment

Before the release of “Uncontrollable”, the contract between Lu Yan and Starry Sky had already expired. The media with a keen sense of smell had already noticed the change in the relationship between Lu Yan and Starry Sky, but because Qin Feng was still Lu Yan’s agent, and people in the circle had tacitly accepted that Qin Feng would never leave Starry Sky, so although there were some doubts, no one took the lead.

The contracts between artists and their agencies have always been a semi-public secret. Some artists even deliberately reveal some favorable details in the contract after signing with a big company to highlight their status. However, the contract between Lu Yan and Starry Sky back then was handled by too few people, and the terms in the contract would inevitably cause an uproar and discussion once they were made public. Neither Lu Yan nor Su Mo had any intention of making it public, and the people around them would not disclose it. So everyone only knew that Lu Yan signed a contract with Star Sky, but as for how long it took, how it was signed, or what conditions or benefits were included, no one knew.

The story was exposed because of an artist Qin Feng had once managed, named Qi Rui. Qi Rui had been with Qin Feng earlier than Lu Yan. When Qin Feng became his agent, Qi Rui was already a little famous. After that, Qin Feng helped him get many opportunities. He was also very competitive and his value soon soared. If it weren’t for the sudden rise of Lu Yan, he could almost compete with Shan Chuyu for the position of the number one in Starry Sky.

Qin Feng’s departure from Starry Sky naturally had a great impact on Qi Rui. Although Qin Feng had arranged a lot for him before leaving and introduced him to a capable agent, it was still not as good as Qin Feng himself. Qi Rui was somewhat dissatisfied in his heart, so when the media asked him if he had changed his agent, he mentioned the fact that Qin Feng had left Starry sky intentionally or unintentionally.

The media was indeed shocked, and when they thought about the changes in the relationship between Lu Yan and Starry Sky that they had felt during this period, an idea quickly came to their mind. At this time, “Uncontrollable” was about to be taken off the air, and it was the last promotion time. 

During an interview at an event, a reporter asked Lu Yan if he had terminated his contract with Starry Sky and if Qin Feng had also left Starry Sky. This matter was not a bad thing and there was nothing to hide. According to the original plan, Qin Feng arranged for Lu Yan to hold a small media meeting and explained clearly the situation of terminating the contract with Starry Sky and opening a personal studio.

At present, Lu Yan’s personal studio was still registered under the name of Starry Sky, but from personnel to affairs, it was completely independent. The media also knew what this meant. It was just a mutual benefit and an additional level of relationship that affected each other, not that there was any subordinate relationship between them. Lu Yan was truly independent.

Lu Yan’s departure from Starry Sky did not surprise people. It was not uncommon for artists to open their own studios after becoming famous. Lu Yan was now very famous, and although it might be a little early in terms of influence, it was understandable. However, Qin Feng actually followed Lu Yan and left Starry Sky, which surprised many people.

The relationship between Qin Feng and Starry Sky was no exaggeration to say that he was as loyal as a loyal minister to the court. Over the years, no matter how many film and television agencies had offered him olive branches, whether it was for profit or to sell favors, Qin Feng had never wavered. But such an artist who debuted for only three years broke the relationship between Qin Feng and Starry Sky that was believed to be unbreakable. While it was puzzling, one could not help but wonder what kind of charm Lu Yan had or what kind of conditions he offered to make Qin Feng willing to follow him.

Soon, someone found out that Qin Feng owned 5% of Lu Yan’s studio. This was not surprising. In order to retain capable agents or other key staff, many studios would use shares as bait, which was a very effective means. But Qin Feng obviously did not seem like someone who would be tempted by such a mere 5% of shares.

This incident became a mystery in the circle. It was not until much later that the relationship between Lu Yan and Su Mo was fully exposed and everyone knew that Su Mo owned part of the studio’s shares that people suddenly realized the truth. Although Su Mo faded out of the entertainment industry a long time ago and not many new forces in the industry know him now, there were still some veteran journalists and artists who knew the current president of Su Group who once caused a stir in the entertainment industry. With such a powerful person who had been kind to him as his second boss, it was not difficult to understand why Qin Feng would leave Starry Sky and join Lu Yan’s studio.

But that’s all for later.

For Lu Yan, in addition to his usual work, how to develop the studio was also one of the most important issues he needed to consider. Even Qin Feng couldn’t give him more advice on this point.

If you want to increase your popularity and influence, you need to have your own brand. At present, the best way was to invest in some excellent movies and TV series in the name of the studio. Just like actors and directors have to speak with their works, in the entertainment industry, good box office and good ratings are the guarantee of everything.

Lu Yan naturally thought of the script he bought the copyright from Yan Ke more than a year ago. He had been looking for an opportunity to bring this wonderful story to the big screen, and now was a good opportunity.

But the problem came, he needed funds and people.

During this period, Lu Yan thought about this problem the most. He even started to make a plan, listing all the factors that could be used and those that could not be used. He used all his time outside of his normal work to do this.

Su Mo quickly noticed his abnormality and guessed that it was probably because of something at the studio, so he found an opportunity and asked him directly, “You seem to be a little worried recently. Is it about something at the studio?”

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then nodded, “Well, I’m thinking about how to build the studio’s brand faster and better.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Su Mo asked.

Lu Yan then expressed his thoughts.

After listening to this, Su Mo was silent for a while, then raised his head and said, “It’s a good idea. But if you follow your idea, it will not be an easy task to make this script into a movie. First of all, the investment in funds will definitely far exceed those movies currently released in China.”

Lu Yan nodded, “Yes. So I was also wondering if I was too impatient. Should I invest in some low-cost movies first, and then do this thing when I am more capable?”

Su Mo smiled and shook his head, saying, “Profits always coexist with risks. And if you want your studio to be a hit, what could be more direct than making a movie that is more advanced than the current domestic market. According to your idea, the story is a good one, and you want to use 3D technology. Currently, 3D technology is becoming more and more mature in the world, and there are some 3D movies, but there has not been a movie of sufficient weight to demonstrate it. So if this movie is well made, it will have a huge impact not only in China, but also internationally. So, have you ever considered seeking American funding?”

“Of course, I have considered it.” Lu Yan replied, “At present, domestic 3D technology is not mature enough. It will be easier to hire the best 3D team with the participation of American capital. In addition, the estimated investment of this movie is relatively large. Seeking American capital can first ease the financial pressure and secondly, it can give priority to obtaining the screening rights in the United States, and then the funds can be returned faster.”

Su Mo asked again, “So, have you ever thought about what investment ratio is needed?”

“I hope we can keep at least one-third of the investment. However,” Lu Yan smiled bitterly, “even if it is only one-third, it is not a small number.”

Su Mo smiled slightly, “You don’t need to worry about the money. I have one-third of the investment amount, and we will invest in the name of the studio. One-third is a good ratio. First of all, the initial investment will not be too large. If the movie is a big hit in the future, our profit will not be too small. Even if the profit is not good, the loss will be limited. As for foreign investment, I will help you contact several American film investment companies that are interested. You can bring your script and plan. As for how to convince them and how to allocate the investment ratio, it depends on your own ability. “

Lu Yan looked at Su Mo and didn’t say anything for a long time. After they got together, they rarely interfered with each other’s work. Lu Yan couldn’t intervene, and Su Mo maintained respect. However, since the establishment of this studio, their work had begun to intersect. Lu Yan had always known Su Mo’s ability and strength, but he had never thought of relying on him to take shortcuts. He hoped to rely on his own ability to reach the peak he wanted and stand in a position that could match him. This was more or less related to a man’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

But Su Mo’s helping hand was so natural. Whether it was the initial contract with Starry Sky, the establishment of the studio, or the current investment in the film, he had always analyzed the pros and cons as an investor. It was as if he was not a lover at the moment, but just an investor. However, Lu Yan knew very well that Su Mo’s investment in him was not only because he believed in his value, but more importantly, it was because of his love for him. Otherwise, for the president of Su Group, there were so many money-making industries in the world, and he was not the only one who needed one.

Su Mo’s words and actions left him no reason to refuse, nor did he want to refuse this love. At this time, the so-called self-esteem was boring, and hypocrisy was meaningless. The most important thing was that Lu Yan believed that he was worthy of this investment, and he had this value, no matter what the purpose was.

Su Mo saw that Lu Yan hadn’t said anything for a while, so he couldn’t help but ask, “Any other questions?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Even if it’s only one-third of the investment, it’s not a small amount. Doesn’t Director Su need to explain this to the board of directors?”

Su Mo smiled and said, “This is my personal property. Of course, I don’t need to explain it to anyone except you.”

Lu Yan was shocked. He knew that the Su family was rich, and he also believed that Su Mo had some wealth himself, but he didn’t expect that he himself would be so rich. This was not a matter of millions or tens of millions, but hundreds of millions.

Seeing Lu Yan’s surprised expression, Su Mo smiled again and said, “I have been doing some private investments for many years. I am lucky and have basically never made a loss. Over the years, I have also accumulated some savings. So just do whatever you want to do. Don’t just make one movie, you can make several. Even if you lose everything, it doesn’t matter. As long as you have money, you will never have to worry about lack of firewood. You can make money again.”

Lu Yan looked at him with a serious look in his eyes, then smiled slowly, “I won’t let you lose money. I will let the world know that your vision is never wrong, and your investment is worth it.”

Su Mo smiled lightly and corrected himself, “It’s not me, it’s us!”

Lu Yan nodded and said, “You are right, it is us!”

Reactions

Lu Yan felt the hand clasped with his was pulling him tightly, with great force, the kind that was exerted unconsciously.

Lu Yan turned his head to look over. Su Mo’s eyes were still fixed on the movie screen. In the dim light, he could see that he was pursing his lips. The expression on his face was not obvious. He was as restrained and self-controlled as always. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled strength in his hands betrayed his inner unrest.

After the movie ended, the two of them lowered their heads and mixed in the crowd, slowly sneaking out of the theater through the dedicated passage to the parking lot. Fortunately, there were many people watching the premiere today, and every screening was full. Because of the premiere, there were also many people in suits.

The crowd was pushing and shoving each other, and most people were still immersed in the movie, so no one noticed that they were huddled together, holding hands tightly and never letting go.

After returning to the car, Su Mo still didn’t say anything, but suddenly leaned over and hugged Lu Yan, as if he wanted to rub him into his body, with his fingers still trembling slightly.

Lu Yan recalled that when he saw him finish shooting the last shot a few months ago, Su Mo had the same reaction, and even stronger today. Of course, that was because the emotions following the film would be much stronger than the emotions diluted on the set.

Lu Yan patted his back gently and whispered to him, “I’m here, don’t be afraid, I’m Lu Yan, not Ji You. I’m here, don’t worry, I’m here.”

After a long while, Su Mo slowly came to his senses, stood up, and smiled a little embarrassedly, “The movie is great!”

Lu Yan reached out and touched his cheek, “Next time if I have a scene like this again, I won’t show it to you.”

Su Mo lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then raised his head and said, “Although it will be a little uncomfortable, I don’t want to miss anything about you.”

Lu Yan was somewhat helpless and joked, “Blame me, my acting is too good.”

Su Mo laughed. The heavy feeling just now gradually dissipated under Lu Yan’s deliberate prank. “Of course, Movie King Lu.”

The two had just exchanged a few words when Lu Yan’s phone rang. It was Wang Yi calling to ask him where he was. They had originally agreed to get together after the premiere. Lu Yan looked at Su Mo, who was still in a low mood. It was not convenient to bring him to such an occasion, so he had to apologize and refuse on the grounds that he was not feeling well.

Wang Yi smiled and said, “Could it be that the movie has affected your mood?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Yes, because Director Wang’s movies are so touching.”

Wang Yi laughed so hard that his chest shook, and he said “as if you were not the main actor. Okay, I’ll let you go this time, but when the official celebration banquet comes, you can’t refuse again.”

“Don’t worry, I will definitely go” Lu Yan assured him as he hung up the phone.

Su Mo looked at him and said, “Actually, you can go ahead. It’s fine with me.”

Lu Yan leaned over and touched the corner of his mouth, “You are more important than anything else. At this moment, I just want to be with you.”

Su Mo shook his hand and said nothing more.

At nearly twelve o’clock in the evening, Lu Yan received another call from Wang Yi, telling him that the attendance rate of today’s movie premiere was over 90%.

Wang Yi’s tone was quite calm. As one of the most famous directors in the country, this kind of result was not the first time for him, and it was not even the best result on the first day.  But there was definitely excitement. No matter how much success had been achieved in the past, every movie was a new beginning. Moreover, as the first homosexual-themed movie to be released in mainland China, “Uncontrollable” had a special meaning.

They had expected such results before, so Lu Yan was happy but not very surprised.

That night, Weibo and forums were filled with fans’ tears.

“I thought it was just a pure love movie, and I walked into the theater with a relaxed and happy mood. However, I didn’t bring any tissues with me, so I cried and soaked my clothes. My eyes are still swollen now.”

“I thought it was a pure love drama, but it turned out to be a heart-wrenching drama. I was so stupid and naive that I actually thought there would be a happy ending in this gay film.”

“I fainted in the toilet. It was so refreshing and beautiful at the beginning, but there was a sudden twist at the end. It was so cruel.”

“It was a predictable ending. Given Director Wang’s character, there was no way he could keep it fresh all the way to the end. What was unexpected was that I thought I had experienced all kinds of sadomasochistic dramas, but I couldn’t resist that look at the end.”

“I couldn’t stop crying. Ji You’s last look was so heartbreaking.”

“When Chen Yao started crying, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I thought of my first love that ended in vain…”

“The actor acted so well. Ji You’s eyes are so attractive. Anyone would fall in love with him if they were looked at by such eyes.”

“It’s a pity that it ended in BE. I couldn’t help crying when I saw Teacher Zhuang crying like that.”

“Is it really that cruel? I didn’t want to watch it at first, but now I’m a little curious.”

“Although it’s very sad, I strongly recommend watching it. It’s a masterpiece by a famous director and two movie kings. You will definitely regret it if you don’t watch it.”

…

In the following days, the box office of “Uncontrollable” maintained a good momentum. Although it was released on Thursday, it still won the box office championship this week. There was no sign of slowing down in the following days.

All the fans who had seen the movie had been promoting it to their friends, especially on major campuses, where everyone was discussing the love between Ji You and Zhuang Wenxuan. If you hadn’t seen the movie, you would be embarrassed to chat with your friends.

Major media outlets also paid close attention to the first same-sex film to be screened in mainland China, with some reporters going directly to major cinemas to conduct interviews.

It had been a week since the release of “Uncontrollable”. Although the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television had granted the film permission to be shown, it could not be shown at 7pm due to the sensitive subject matter. All major cinemas had scheduled the film after 9pm. Depending on the size of the cinema, there were usually two or three theaters showing the film.

When the reporter arrived at the cinema at around nine o’clock, the lobby was already packed with people, mostly young people, mostly girls.

The reporter randomly interviewed two girls, “What movie did you come to see today?”

One of the girls answered, “‘Uncontrollable’, this is my second time watching it, I came here with my friend.” She patted her friend’s shoulder and the girl smiled shyly.

The reporter interviewed another boy, “Are you also waiting to watch ‘Uncontrollable’?”

“Yeah,” the boy smiled helplessly but also a little sweetly, “My girlfriend insisted that I come with her to see it.”

After interviewing several boys who all gave similar answers, the reporter asked another boy directly, “Are you also here to watch “Uncontrollable” with your girlfriend?”

“Oh, no,” the boy said frankly, “I don’t have a girlfriend yet. I’m a fan of Lu Yan.”

Almost everyone in the hall was waiting to see “Uncontrollable” so the reporter asked another question, “Why do you want to watch “Uncontrollable”?”

The girl who was asked seemed surprised by the question. “Needless to say, it’s the first gay film to be released in mainland China. Of course I have to watch it and show my support.”

“Oh, I like Han Yuan and Lu Yan. How could I not watch the movie they made together?”

“Haha, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television finally agreed to release a gay film. This time they really made the best decision. I will never complain about them again.”

The most interesting thing is that when the reporter asked a boy if he knew what kind of movie “Uncontrollable” was, his answer was, “I don’t know. I heard my classmates talking about this movie. I said I haven’t seen it, and they didn’t want to talk to me. But it’s a bit strange, why is there only a male lead but no female lead on the poster? Which one is the female lead’s name, Ji You or Zhuang Wenxuan?

In the second and third weeks, “Uncontrollable” continued to sing triumphant songs and won the weekly championship for several consecutive weeks.

Faced with this phenomenon, some film critics scoffed, thinking that this was just a phenomenon movie and that there was nothing praiseworthy about “Uncontrollable”.

Some film critics even directly criticized Wang Yi for flattering the public and being ignorant of what he was saying, and for using homosexual themes as a gimmick, which was really low-level.

Of course, there were also film critics who gave “Uncontrollable” high praise. The famous film critic Zhu Huayu directly wrote a film review of several thousand words titled “Reality and Ideal” to express his appreciation, in which the analysis of the two main characters was particularly insightful.

“Zhuang Wenxuan is a real person with flesh and blood, emotions and pain, who seems to live next to you and me. He is contradictory. On the one hand, as a homosexual, he longs for a pure love, so he is attracted to Ji You’s purity, and even unconsciously has a bit of seduction in their interactions; but on the other hand, he is an experienced adult after all, and he knows very well what their relationship means, so he considers, he hesitates, he is uncertain. Many people may be angry and dissatisfied with his final retreat, but it is understandable. It is not that he is ruthless, but that he does not have enough courage. Even at the beginning, he was unwilling to let Ji You bear it alone, but Ji You was more decisive than him. Such a character is realistic and rich. I should say that Actor Han has grasped the character’s personality to the utmost, whether it is the lovable side or the hateful side, it is so real. Especially the last crying scene, which shows the character’s inner regret, despair, and pain vividly. This can be seen from the crying in the room at the end of every screening (laughs).

If Zhuang Wenxuan represents reality, then Ji You is undoubtedly much more idealistic. In the relationship between the two, Zhuang Wenxuan was the guide at the beginning, and Ji You became the protector later. He was so pure, passionate, persistent and courageous, especially the final commitment and sacrifice, which were extremely shocking. This was originally a simple role, but the performance of Lu Yan made it not simple at all. Many people say that Lu Yan became the Best Actor at Cannes purely because of luck, but I totally disagree. Friends who are interested can start studying from his first movie. As a newcomer who just debuted, he was able to perform such a complex role so well, which is something that many veteran actors cannot do. I really want to ask, are you really a newcomer? I don’t believe it! Okay, no more jokes, let’s get back to the point. Lu Yan’s eyes are very dramatic, and I really like to look into his eyes. His eyes make Ji You become a living person, with flesh and blood. To be honest, if I were a girl and ten years younger, I would also fall in love with him.

I don’t deny that I have a preference for Lu Yan, and I also prefer the role of Ji You. He made me believe that there is such pure love and such pure emotion in the world. I believe that many people will be like me and like him so much. I am very optimistic about the role of Ji You, and I hope that Lu Yan will be crowned the best actor again at the Golden Bell Awards next year. If this comes true, I will be very proud of it. “

This review by Zhu Huayu was widely reposted by fans of Han Yuan and Lu Yan. As he said, no matter how realistic and rich the character of Zhuang Wenxuan is in the eyes of critics, it cannot stop the fans’ love for Ji You.

For a long time afterwards, whenever Lu Yan attended various events, his fans would call him not only Lu Yan, but also Ji You. In some of the on-site signboards, Ji You appeared as many times as Lu Yan.

Whenever fans cried and shouted “Ji You, I love you” to him, Lu Yan would have a sense of time travel that made him laugh and cry.

Anyway, the release of “Uncontrollable” in mainland China was very successful. By the time the film was finally taken off the screen, it had already grossed 1.1 billion yuan at the box office, not including screenings in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas.

Release

When he woke up, it was already noon. Su Mo lamented deeply for the biological clock that was gradually moving away from him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lu Yan’s smiling face magnified in front of him. He bent his elbows to support his head, leaned sideways and looked at him with a smile. His eyes were clear and he didn’t know how long he had been awake or how long he had been looking.

“Good morning.” Seeing that the other party had also woken up, Lu Yan smiled and greeted him. The “wife” that had already rushed out of his throat was swallowed back by him. Last night, when the passion was at its peak, he forced the other party to call him “husband”. At that time, he felt that he would not be able to enjoy it if he did not do so. Now thinking about it, it was really a bit too shameful.

Thinking of Su Mo’s restrained and indulgent style when he was pushed to the extreme, Lu Yan couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. In love affairs, Lu Yan liked to break the other party’s self-esteem and self-control that he had been accustomed to, and liked to see him unable to stop because of himself. This was the mood that both of them tacitly agreed to. But when he was sober, Lu Yan didn’t tease too much, because of love and respect.

“Good morning.” Su Mo smiled back, his voice was low and hoarse, and it was unclear whether it was because he had just woken up or because he had had too much fun last night.

Lifting aside the red transparent gauze curtain filled with a newlywed atmosphere, one looked down to see clothes spread all over the floor, red and blue intertwined, as if their inseparable life journey, mixed with underwear and underpants, and the lingering smell of sandalwood and the scent of burnt candles in the air, all of which speak of indulgence and charm.

Su Mo frowned, “This dress…”

Lu Yan carelessly lifted the quilt and stepped on the ground barefoot, revealing his beautiful body and muscles. He picked up the clothes and looked at them, sighing, “Sure enough, they are all dirty. I wonder if anyone will notice anything if I send them to the dry cleaners.”

Su Mo’s face flushed, and he tried to keep a serious expression and said, “Keep it. Bring it back to the old house and let Aunt Fang deal with it.”

“Okay,” Lu Yan turned around and smiled brightly, “Auntie Fang will definitely like our wedding dresses when she sees how beautiful they are.”

Su Mo imagined Aunt Fang’s expression when she received the soiled dress, and suddenly he felt as embarrassed as if he had his veil examined after his wedding night.

After washing up, Su Mo returned to the room, drew back the curtains and opened the window. The fresh air that rushed in diluted the turbid smell of various odors in the room.

The pair of dragon and phoenix candles burned all night and then went out by themselves. A wine pot with some wine still in it was placed on the table, and the wine glass was still rolling on the floor.

Su Mo rolled up his sleeves and was about to tidy up when Lu Yan, who was wiping his hair, walked in and saw him. He called out, “Don’t tidy up, Song Hui will come over and take care of it later.”

Su Mo was a little annoyed, “Were all these things arranged by Song Hui?”

“Of course,” Lu Yan nodded, “It will be too late when I come back from filming.” He even smiled and boasted, “To be honest, he is more skillful than me in making these things.”

Su Mo didn’t know what to say.

Lu Yan noticed that his face looked strange, threw away the towel in his hand, walked over and hugged him, put his hands on the table, and trapped him in his arms. He was only wearing pants, his upper body was naked, and his undried hair was blowing wetly. Lu Yan smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Are you embarrassed? Song Hui is not an outsider, he knows everything about us.”

“No, um, nothing.” Su Mo thought about it and realized that it was indeed nothing, so he felt relieved.

At this moment, Song Hui, who was summoned by his boss to rush over here, sneezed suddenly. Hey, who was thinking about him so early in the morning?

Thinking about what he might see when he gets to his boss’s house, Song Hui shuddered. Yesterday, when he was decorating his boss’s “new house” by himself, he felt the malice from the world. As a single young man, seeing the bosses showing affection every day, intentionally or unintentionally, was unbearable for anyone. They really thought he was the chief eunuch with no desires.

When would his spring come? Song Hui sighed, afraid that his sunglasses would not be enough again today.

That afternoon, Lu Yan returned to the film city to continue the rest of the filming.

Just after the filming of “The Legend of Wang Xuance” ended, Lu Yan received a piece of news that “Uncontrollable” had passed the approval of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and was allowed to be released in mainland China.

This was absolutely great news. When Lu Yan accepted the filming of “Uncontrollable”, he was mentally prepared that the film would not be released in the mainland. After all, homosexual themes are somewhat sensitive. Previously, such films were rejected for various reasons and could only be released in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas. This was a loss for the growing mainland film market.

However, in recent years, as the voices calling for equality and the elimination of discrimination have grown louder in society, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television had also been gradually relaxing restrictions, and the relaxation of restrictions on films with same-sex themes was one of them.

The most important reason why “Uncontrollable” became the first same-sex themed film to pass the censorship and obtain the release rights was actually because it did not contain any sex scenes.

When Wang Yi called Lu Yan, he said, “When you said you didn’t want to do sex scenes, I hesitated for a long time. I always felt it was a pity. I didn’t expect that by accident, I would open up the mainland market. Oh, now I have to thank you for your persistence.”

Lu Yan smiled and said nothing. He had not expected such a result, but it was great, wasn’t it? God would treat those who stick to their principles and were sincere well.

The movie was scheduled to be released during the National Day holiday.

As the first homosexual-themed movie released in mainland China, this gimmick alone was enough to attract the attention of a large number of movie fans, not to mention that this was a movie directed by the famous director Wang Yi and starring two movie kings. Fans of Han Yuan and Lu Yan alone had occupied major website forums, and posts about groups from all over the country watching the show were endless.

The official release of the trailer was timely, and in just a few minutes, it showed a fresh love story. Ji You’s passionate affection, Zhuang Wenxuan’s gentle tolerance, the cautiousness at the beginning, and the involuntariness later, plus the pure campus background, there was a youthful feeling that made people’s heart beat. It was hard to explain why, but the restrained and ambiguous interaction between the two makes you feel beautiful and warm. You can’t help but smile knowingly, and it even makes you forget that they are the same gender. 

As for the true ending of the film, neither the main creators revealed even a little bit when they were promoting it nor in the official short film footage.

When someone asked about it, everyone gave an official answer: You’ll know when you go to the cinema.

In this case, almost everyone believed that this was just a campus movie with a homosexual gimmick.

Some people even expressed disbelief that a light and fresh movie like this required a famous director and two movie kings. It was such a waste of talent. What were they thinking?

Some people immediately expressed their disagreement: What’s wrong with the “little fresh” movies? Can’t they just tell a good story? Do good movies have to be big? Nowadays, there are too many movies that show off all kinds of special effects, but too few that can tell a story clearly, beautifully, and movingly.

Yes, for the same reason. Not all good movies have to have a lofty theme, either saving the earth or criticizing society. We are just ordinary people, without so many noble sentiments, so what if we just want to watch a fresh love story!

Honestly, isn’t Wang Yi known for his attention to detail and emotion? Which of his movies is not artistic and fresh? But who dares to say that his movies are not good movies? Even if you think it’s pretentious, there are still many people who like them. They still have high box office and win big awards.

Hey, what’s wrong with the best actor? Isn’t the best actor still an actor in essence? Being an actor is just a kind of job, one of the 365 jobs, just the nature of the job is different. Don’t think too highly of people, and don’t think too low of them. Must the best actor take good movies and good roles? Before the movie is made, who knows whether it is a good movie or a bad movie. Besides, you have the final say on whether a movie is good or bad?

…

The fans’ reaction was much simpler.

Well, I am a crazy fan of Han Yuan. No matter what others say, I will definitely support the movies of the Actor Han

Same as above, Lu Yan’s brain-dead fans, support the male god without explanation.

In any case, the movie had attracted enough attention before it was released, and 80% of people said in an online survey that they would go to the cinema to watch it.

The premiere of “Uncontrollable” was held in City B. The premiere was extremely grand, with many media and people from the circle coming. It could be seen that Wang Yi, Han Yuan and Lu Yan all had good popularity in the circle.

After the premiere, everyone went to the theater to watch the movie. At the same time, thousands of theaters in major cities across the country would simultaneously screen the movie.

Lu Yan did not sit in the seat assigned to him, but quietly moved to the back row, where a person was already waiting quietly. Then, in the dim light on the screen, Lu Yan smiled at the person, sat down, and quietly held his hand. The two hands were hidden under the seat, fingers intertwined.

This was also the first time Lu Yan had seen the complete cut of the movie. Wang Yi liked to keep things mysterious, and not only the outside world, but even the main creators had not seen it beforehand.

The camera and editing were truly magical things. Even the protagonist Lu Yan couldn’t help but wonder, was this really the movie he participated in filming?

The movie was about 100 minutes long in total, and the first hour or so, just as the official trailer told movie fans, tells a pure and fresh love story. Wang Yi’s use of camera language was extremely outstanding. If it were summarized in the synopsis, it would probably be a simple story, but through such editing, coupled with the actors’ acting skills, people couldn’t help but be moved by the plot and follow the characters’ joys and sorrows.

In the subsequent plot twists, Wang Yi used a lot of close-up shots to magnify the emotions of the protagonists. Ji You’s self-sacrifice and fulfillment, as well as the deep affection, persistence and remorse behind it; Zhuang Wenxuan’s struggle, retreat, guilt, reluctance and uneasiness, all made people empathize.

At the end, when Zhuang Wenxuan burst into tears while holding Ji You’s gradually cooling body, the camera kept flashing back to various images and expressions of Ji You before. The contrast between the two pushed this sad and irreversible atmosphere to its climax.

Driven by this emotion, low sobs gradually rang out in the theater, becoming louder and clearer, until finally, some people even burst into tears like Zhuang Wenxuan in the movie.

Although Lu Yan did not cry, he felt very distressed. Even though he knew the ending long ago and he was one of the protagonists, the feeling of grief and sorrow did not diminish much.

A movie that could touch people’s hearts requires not only a good story and the actors’ acting skills, but also the camera and editing, as well as the director’s narrative ability. None of these can be missing.

That’s the charm of movies!

Shooting

Lu Yan put one foot in the stirrup and the other on the ground, holding the reins with his left hand, his whole body ready to go.

“Lu Yan, move your body a little more to the side. Yes, in that direction. Very good, right there, keep it. After you start, take a look at the camera before you get started.” Chen Li, who was looking at the camera, was still adjusting his position.

“OK, everyone, take your positions, Action!”

As the director finished speaking, Lu Yan quickly glanced at the camera, then turned around, propped up the horse’s back with his right hand, and stepped on the stirrup with force, and the whole person flew up into the air, and then sat steadily on the saddle. The series of movements were neat and smooth, and he was carefree and relaxed. Then he gently patted the horse’s butt with his right hand, and the horse kicked up its hooves and galloped away, raising a roll of yellow sand behind it.

After riding for a while, the director called for a stop, and Lu Yan pulled the reins, slowing down the horse. Lu Yan turned around and rode back slowly.

When they returned to the starting point, a staff member came up to lead the horse. Lu Yan did not wait for anyone to help him. He put his hands on the horse’s back, leaned to one side, and slid down on the stirrup.

Lu Yan handed the horse to the staff and walked towards the director.

“Director Chen, how is it?”

“Well, very good,” Chen Li nodded, “You passed that one just now. You can look back and see for yourself, the angle and direction are very good. Also, your eyes are very good, very good.”

“Okay, thank you Director Chen.” Lu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled easily.

The shot of getting on the horse just now was shot seven or eight times, and most of the time it failed because the angle of the shot was not good enough.

After a few months of filming, Lu Yan had become accustomed to Chen Li’s filming rhythm. Basically, apart from the literary scenes that didn’t move much, there were few shots that didn’t need to be re-shot.

Chen Li paid special attention to the effect of being in the camera, which may be related to his previous work as a photographer. But it was undeniable that it was his nitpicking that made the movie look better.

Chen Li was used to reviewing the content shot that day every night, and Lu Yan would also go over to watch it when he had nothing to do. Standing behind the camera and comparing them, it was only then that they found that the shots that Chen Li finally approved were indeed the best. Lu Yan was eager to learn, and Chen Li was not stingy with his help. He often explained to him why a certain angle was used and what the advantages of shooting in this way were.

Lu Yan was a quick learner and had a strong comprehension ability. He could understand things almost immediately. At the beginning, Chen Li had to strictly specify the angles and directions, even the height and arc. Later, basically, once Chen Li opened his mouth, Lu Yan knew how to cooperate, and the number of retakes became less and less.

Filming with Chen Li was indeed more tiring than any other time before, but the effect was also extremely obvious. Lu Yan’s grasp and understanding of the camera became stronger.

Lu Yan felt very happy. Being able to learn more was even more exciting than working with a heavyweight director.

Chen Li looked up at Lu Yan and said with a smile, “How is it, are you still able to handle it?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Of course, no problem.”

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said, “Let’s go eat and rest first. The afternoon sessions will be more tiring.”

The two of them walked and talked about the details of the next few scenes.

To be honest, Chen Li knew Lu Yan from the beginning. He would get to know every actor who came to audition in advance. Lu Yan had a good appearance, the type that would make people like him at first sight, but Chen Li had been filming for so many years and had met many actors, many of whom were outstanding in appearance. It could be said that the entertainment industry is not short of good looks.

Lu Yan was the best actor in Cannes, but even now some people still say that he was too lucky to win the award. Chen Li was not a person who only listened to rumors to make judgments. Moreover, a young actor who could make Han Yuan specifically ask to work with him must have his own strengths.

After working together for a while, Chen Li confirmed this judgment. Lu Yan was a person who made people feel comfortable to be with. He would keep a proper distance from others without making them feel distant. Sometimes he was enthusiastic but not hypocritical. He would also make jokes but in a measured way. He never made people feel embarrassed or awkward with his words or actions. 

Of course, you are not a good actor just because you know how to behave. However, Lu Yan was not only a good actor, but also hard working. There is a saying that the most terrible thing in the world is that someone who is more talented than you works harder than you. Lu Yan was such a person.

What Chen Li admired most was Lu Yan’s work attitude. Chen Li was a person who strived for perfection, but Lu Yan was sometimes more serious than him. He had seen Lu Yan rehearsing alone for the next day’s filming several times. Even in his picky eyes, Lu Yan thought the performance was good, but he still wanted to do better. Moreover, Lu Yan was not rigid, did not hold on to unnecessary self-esteem, asked questions when he did not understand, and never pretended to know. This kind of actor was Chen Li’s favorite.

Therefore, success was never accidental. Chen Li just wanted to sneer at those who said that Lu Yan was just lucky. With such good talents and conditions, and being able to work so hard, it would be God’s fault if he didn’t succeed.

However, no one knows that before his rebirth, Lu Yan was in such a “God is blind” situation. Sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, Lu Yan himself would break out in a cold sweat, not knowing whether he was in a dream or if everything in his past life was just a dream. All he could do was to grasp the present and cherish everything.

After eating the lunch box distributed by the crew, Lu Yan was called away by the costume designer Sister He.

Sister He took Lu Yan to the dressing room, pushed out a set of clothes, and said with a mysterious smile, “Come on, Lu Yan, try on this wedding dress. It has just been made and sent to you. Try it on to see if it fits you. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it for you.”

Lu Yan’s eyes lit up. This Tang Dynasty wedding dress for men was bright red, which was called crimson in ancient times. It was different from the straight-sleeved robes of ordinary clothes. It was a formal dress with large sleeves. The sleeves were spread out, and the hem almost dropped to the knees. The white waistband and skirt looked generous and gorgeous.

After Lu Yan put on the suit, Sister He looked around him and praised him endlessly, “Very good, so handsome, such a groom will surely charm everyone.”

Lu Yan followed Sister He to work for a while and said, “It must be very troublesome to make a dress like this. Is it necessary just for one or two shots?”

“Of course it is necessary!” Sister He said seriously. She was the official costume designer for Chen Li’s films. She was responsible for the costumes for almost every film Chen Li shot, including the style and fabrics. This was her profession and her interest. “Costumes, especially in a historical film like this, are the decoration of a film. If they are done well, they are the icing on the cake; if they are not done well, they become a big failure. Even if there are only one or two shots, they must not be sloppy. “

“Yes, yes, Sister He is right, I was wrong.” Lu Yan smiled and said, “Then, is the women’s wedding dress ready?”

“Of course,” Sister He said proudly, “Do you want to take a look?”

“Yeah.” Lu Yan nodded.

Sister He quickly pushed out another set of clothes. The women’s Tang Dynasty wedding dress was a blue dress with wide sleeves, but the sleeves were not as long as the men’s. There were two cuffs, and the cuffs and the lapels were embroidered with delicate patterns. The skirt inside was a lighter blue, also embroidered with delicate patterns. There was also a layer of gauze on the outside.

Lu Yan stared at the women’s wedding dress for a long time, and finally frowned.

Lu Yan turned to Sister He and said, “Sister He, I have something to ask you for help?”

“You say.” said Sister He.

Lu Yan smiled a little embarrassedly, walked over and whispered a few words.

“Well,” Sister He said hesitantly, “I can do it, but what are you going to use it for?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I can’t tell you the reason right now. Just think of it as a collection. I don’t mind how much it costs.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sister He waved her hand. “It doesn’t cost much. Okay, I’ll do it for you.”

“Thank you, Sister He.” Lu Yan smiled and bowed.

“Okay,” Sister He said with a smile, “Don’t be polite, just give me a few more autographed photos later.”

“No problem, you can have as much as you want. But please keep this matter a secret for me, Sister He.” Lu Yan said.

“Oh, why are you being so mysterious? Don’t worry, I’m not a talkative person, so I won’t tell anyone.” Sister He also agreed very readily.

The scene shot in the afternoon was one of the highlights of the entire film, in which Wang Xuance led 7,000 cavalrymen to attack the rebellious country. The scene was extremely grand.

This scene was shot from a distance, and the close-up shots had already been taken before. Because the camera was far away, the face was not very clear, and such a large scene was also somewhat dangerous. Generally, at this time, some actors would choose to use a double, and the more cautious directors would even take the initiative to suggest it.

Chen Li had previously asked Lu Yan if he wanted to use a body double, but Lu Yan directly refused. On the one hand, he liked to fight in person, and real men always have a special liking for exciting scenes. It is impossible to really go to war in real life, so if there was a chance in the movie, of course he wanted to experience it. 

On the other hand, he was also very confident in himself. Whether it was riding skills or body control, he could do everything that a stuntman could do, and he was confident that he could do better.

Chen Li did not force him, but told Lu Yan to be careful and not to act recklessly. Finally, he joked, “In order to live up to your bravery in the battle, I will try my best to have the photographer take a few close-ups of you.”

“That would be the best.” Lu Yan also said with a smile.

A helicopter carrying a photographer roared overhead, and cameras were aimed at shooting points from various angles. The assistant director used a loud speaker to instruct the actors on how to change their formation and direction.

Although there weren’t really tens of thousands of people, the scene with hundreds of crowd actors could still create the momentum of a huge army.

Lu Yan rode on the horse, charging in the direction directed by his assistant, holding the reins with one hand and swinging the sword with the other. As the horse galloped quickly, gusts of wind blew in his ears, giving him a bravery as if he were about to fight on the battlefield.

This was the first time that Lu Yan acted as the protagonist in such a scene. In his previous life, when he was a minor actor, he was only qualified to be a soldier running back and forth, looking up in the crowd, hiding his desires and dreams.

And now, he was already someone that was looked up to by others.

Lu Yan felt extremely happy. All the frustrations and depressions in his previous life were getting farther and farther away from him in this back and forth sprint.

Just treat your past life as nothing more than a dream, look forward, and always look forward. Grasp and cherish all that you have and cannot lose!

Lu Yan’s riding skills were indeed as superb as he had promised, and he even performed some difficult and thrilling but very good-looking moves on horseback.

After the filming was over, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Yan jumped off the horse.

Gao Xia, who was in charge of managing the horses and ensuring the safety of the actors on horseback, rode over and excitedly exclaimed, “Those moves just now were so beautiful. Where did you learn them from?”

Lu Yan naturally said what he had prepared long ago, “When I traveled to the prairie before, I met a herdsman with superb riding skills and learned a few tricks from him.”

Gao Xia gave a thumbs up, “Awesome!”

In fact, he learned it from a stuntman when he was a minor actor in his previous life. That stuntman often performed difficult moves for big stars. He did the most dangerous work but received relatively meager wages. This is reality!

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said with a smile, “It’s exciting! But it’s still a little dangerous. There’s no need to work so hard. I won’t give you any more money.”

Lu Yan laughed, “Don’t worry, Director Chen, I know my limits.”

“That’s good,” Chen Li said with a smile, “Safety first. If something happens to you in my crew, the fans would tear me apart. But it was really exciting!”

“Thank you Director Chen for the compliment.” Lu Yan said with a smile.

Start up

Su Mo and Qin Feng were in charge of all the details and trivial matters of setting up the studio. As Su Mo said, Lu Yan’s mission was to make good movies, increase his popularity, make himself more famous, and have more influence in the entertainment industry.

He must seize the opportunity before him.

After the leading actor was confirmed, the rest of the preparation work became much simpler, and soon Lu Yan received a notice to join the crew.

Most of the scenes of this movie would be shot in the film city. Lu Yan brought Song Hui to the crew on time at the appointed time. Qin Feng naturally could not go with them this time as he had more important things to do.

Chen Li’s movies had always attracted much attention. They had been a hot topic since the beginning of the filming, and the previous casting was also a topic. Although the specific details had not been revealed, when Lu Yan was finally confirmed as the protagonist, several online media even used this news as the headline of the entertainment section of the day. Of course, this was also related to the lack of more explosive news at the time. But no matter what, it showed the influence of Chen Li and Lu Yan.

This news was the most exciting for fans. After Wang Yi and  Han Yuan, Lu Yan will cooperate with the most famous director in China, Chen Li, and play the leading role. This was enough to make Lu Yan’s fans stand up straight in major forums, and they were particularly powerful when shouting for the male god.

As a new actor who debuted only three years ago, Lu Yan did not become an instant star, but he took every step very solidly and laid a good foundation.

Because there were so many people who wanted to get the news, Chen Li simply held a grand opening ceremony and invited many journalists, almost all portals and physical media with some weight. All the main actors appeared in their movie images. As the protagonist, Lu Yan was the center of attention.

This time, Lu Yan wore the green round-neck robe, and did not wear a crown on his head, but simply tied a headscarf. Lu Yan was originally handsome and upright, and this outfit made him look more elegant and gentle, like a handsome man. However, the character Wang Xuance he would play was not just a Confucian scholar. How could a person who could create the brilliant record of “destroying a country by himself” be a powerless person? Therefore, Lu Yan’s gentleness was also a bit cold.

As soon as Lu Yan appeared, everyone’s eyes lit up. A large number of reporters and photographers surrounded him and asked to take pictures. Lu Yan also cooperated very well. He put his hands in his sleeves and made a proper pose, with a slight smile on his face and a firm look. The sound of shutter buttons rang out one after another.

During this period, the appearances of several other main actors did not draw too much attention, until the appearance of the great director Chen Li, which ended the situation where Lu Yan was the only one in the spotlight.

The process of the opening ceremony was not complicated. After the routine offering sacrifices to the heavens, Chen Li briefly introduced the main content of the film, and then introduced a group of main creative staff, especially several main actors. The male lead was of course Lu Yan, and the female lead was the Indian actress Niman Lapur from Bollywood. Niman Lapur was one of the top ten sexy actresses in Bollywood. Indian actresses are generally recognized as beauties with angelic faces and devilish bodies, and Niman was no exception.

In fact, although she was the heroine, her role was not more than that of an ordinary supporting role. The heroine played by Nyman was a princess of the rebellious country in mainland India that Wang Xuance was on a diplomatic mission. Strictly speaking, there were only three scenes. The first scene was helping Wang Xuance out of his predicament when he became a prisoner of a rebellious country; the second scene was coming out to greet Wang Xuance after he destroyed the rebellious country; and the third scene was the emperor granting a marriage to Wang Xuance after he returned to the court.

But the reporters hadn’t read the script. After all, she was the heroine, and she was a foreign beauty, so naturally they paid more attention to her.

When it was time to ask questions freely, apart from director Chen Li and the male lead Lu Yan, Niman Lapur was asked the most questions. Although Niman’s English with a strong Indian accent gave the reporters a headache, all kinds of questions were still thrown at her.

“Miss Lapur, how do you feel about being in this movie?”

“Oh, I am very happy. I love the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization very much. I feel very honored to be a part of it. Thank you very much to Director Chen for giving me this opportunity.”

“Miss Lapur, are you satisfied with your role in the movie?”

“Of course, I am very satisfied.”

“Miss Lapur, can you tell me what you think of the male lead?”

“Oh, Lu is a very handsome actor, even more charming than Axing. I am very happy to play his lover in the movie, and I will marry him in the end. I hope I can marry a handsome Chinese man like Lu in the future.”

Niman winked deliberately, and the last sentence was obviously a joke, but the outspokenness, enthusiasm and generosity of foreign women compared to the reserved domestic actresses was evident.

The Axing mentioned by Nieman was originally named Axing Bashakan, and was currently recognized as the sexiest male star in Bollywood.

Then another reporter turned to Lu Yan.

“Mr. Lu, Miss Lapur said she hopes to marry a man like you, what do you think?”

Lu Yan had naturally heard Lapur’s answer just now. He was used to the habit of the media wanting to hype up the male and female protagonists every time a movie was promoted. 

However, understanding this did not mean that he had to cooperate, so Lu Yan smiled and said gratefully, “Thank you very much for Miss Lapur’s appreciation. In my eyes, she is also a very charming lady. But unfortunately, I cannot accept her kindness because I already have a lover.”

Niman guessed that Lu Yan was talking about a topic related to her. After asking for translation, she deliberately shrugged her shoulders, spread her hands, and said with a smile, “That’s such a pity. But I still have to say that Lu’s lover is really very lucky!”

Lu Yan turned his head, nodded and smiled at her, “Thank you!”

The interaction between the two was quite affectionate, so the reporters asked if they could take a photo together.

Lu Yan and Niman had no objection, and they stood up and walked together, with Niman even taking Lu Yan’s arm affectionately. Both of them were wearing costumes from the movie, and although their skin colors were different, they were still quite harmonious overall.

At the end of the ceremony, the main creators lined up and allowed the media to take a few more photos before dispersing.

The opening ceremony was attended not only by reporters and media, but also by fans of various companies, and there were also many gossip lovers in the media. So that night, a certain community entertainment section built a high-rise building in the name of Chen Li’s new film.

Previously, everyone only knew that Chen Li was preparing a new film and Lu Yan would be the male lead, but no one knew the specific content of the film until today when it was completely revealed.

The poster who opened the thread was obviously a history fan, or at least was very familiar with Wang Xuance’s deeds.

“Oh my god, Chen Li’s new film is actually [The Biography of Wang Xuance]! Is there anyone who wants to talk about it? It’s so exciting!”

“I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Finally, someone is filming the story of Wang Xuance, and it is directed by the great director Chen Li. I can already foresee that a thrilling legendary movie is about to be born.”

“Who is Wang Xuance?”

“Baidu Encyclopedia. Link”

“Thank you upstairs, let me go and see it first”

“After watching the video, I was so excited that I wanted to go for a run. I think I can understand the original poster’s feelings. Oh my god, there are such legendary figures in our history. How come I have never heard of them before?”

“It’s probably because the publicity wasn’t strong enough. After all, it was during the Tang Dynasty, and there were too many famous people. And his story happened outside of China, so there’s not much record of it in history books.”

“I knew about this person when I read Yoshiki Tanaka’s [The Record of the Indian Hot Wind]. I was surprised that no one mentioned such a great person.”

“One man destroyed an entire country, and the soldiers were borrowed from foreign countries, and they defeated the enemy with fewer troops. It’s so exciting just to think about it. I’m really looking forward to it. When will the movie be released?”

“The people upstairs are too impatient. The filming has just started and you are already thinking about releasing it.”

“Well, let me be cool. Nowadays, historical dramas have been changed into a mess and are beyond recognition. I don’t know how this one will be adapted, so don’t expect too much.”

“You can rest assured about this. If it were any other director, it would be hard to say, but Director Chen Li has always been very careful in restoring historical facts and rarely makes up stories. You can go and watch the films he has filmed, [Wei Qing] and [Battle of Feishui], which are basically consistent with historical facts in terms of major plots, with only some details changed. Director Chen is particularly good at this kind of large-scale filming and the portrayal of legendary characters. Every one of them makes my blood boil, it’s really exciting.”

“Well, I’ve watched almost all of Director Chen’s films, and they are really good.”

“Oh, I don’t watch many movies normally, so I don’t know much about it. Now that you guys said so, I feel relieved and I look forward to it with you.”

“I have a question. Who is the male lead? Who plays Wang Xuance?”

“Lu Yan ah”

“Lu Yan”

“Lu Yan, the male god Lu”

“I happened to go to the movie city today and saw the start-up scene. I secretly took a few photos. Let me show you jap.pictures, jap.pictures, jap.pictures.”

“Wow, so handsome!”

“Is this the costume from the movie? It’s so detailed.”

“Yes, I felt relieved when I saw this outfit. It’s very authentic.”

“Who is that woman next to him? The heroine? Why is she so dark?”

“That’s not dark, that’s called brown.”

“Isn’t this the one from Baolai Town? The heroine is Ah San?”

“Oh my god, the heroine is Ah San. I am so heartbroken. I can’t accept it.”

“Don’t discriminate against Ah San. Ah San is also very loving.”

“Well, someone who was at the movie city today said that when they heard Ah San praise his idol, they felt both proud and subtle.”

“Proud and subtle +1”

“Proud and subtle +2”

“Actually, I heard that the female lead doesn’t have many roles. She’s just a passerby. She only has a few scenes?”

“Is this true? Is this still the heroine?”

“Uh, the most miserable heroine in history?”

“hahaha, I imagined that scene and couldn’t help laughing. What should I do?”

“If the director is Chen Li, there won’t be anything surprising. His movies are basically dominated by men, and the female lead is basically just a supporting role.”

“So basic?”

“It’s ok, not really basic, Chen Li prefers individual heroism, and the protagonists are particularly prominent. So his male protagonists are particularly likely to win the Best Actor award.”

“Wow, is that true? Really? I look forward to seeing my idol crowned the king again.”

“Yes, compared to Chen Li’s other movies, the heroine in this one is pretty good. I heard there’s a wedding scene at the end.”

“What? There’s a wedding? I’m shocked, the male god’s first marriage is to Ah San? My heart is blocked again!”

“The wedding dresses of the Tang Dynasty are very beautiful. Hanfu fans hope that Director Chen can also perfectly reproduce this aspect, jap.picture, jap.picture”

“Wow, so gorgeous! Imagine what Male god Lu would look like in a groom’s suit #saliva#saliva#saliva#sexy#sexy#sexy”

“But the bride is an Indian… I just can’t get over this hurdle T T, I’d rather be a man than an Indian”

“Upstairs, did Ah San provoke you? Is it necessary to be so disgusted with her?”

“Okay, okay, let’s have a peaceful discussion, dont fight”

“Chen Li + Wang Xuance + Lu Yan… I feel a little excited just thinking about it.”

“Now that the people above mentioned that, I am really looking forward to it!”

“Same expectations, ahhhh, I hope the male god will take on more grand movies and grand roles like this in the future.”

“That’s right. Take more films like this, which are grand. They are much better than those literary and artistic ones that play with romance.”

“What’s wrong with the literary and artistic style? Literary and artistic style still wins big awards and has a high box office.”

“Calm down, I’m not saying that literacy is not good. I think, as an actor, you should try all kinds of movies. Being able to handle all kinds of roles is a real skill.”

“That’s right, I haven’t heard of any movie king who can only play one type of role. I’m looking forward to seeing Movie King Lu playing a villain boss lololol”

“Haha, now that you mention it, I’m looking forward to it too. It would be best if he were a devilish and crazy villain. Just thinking about it makes me excited.”

…

A new journey

Lu Yan didn’t say a word along the way, as if he was thinking about something.

After arriving home, Su Mo asked directly, “What’s wrong? Are you worried about something?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Brother Feng mentioned to me today that my contract with Starry Sky is about to expire.”

Su Mo nodded. He and Lu Yan had signed the contract, so he was very clear about it. “There’s still half a year left. What are your plans?”

Lu Yan was silent for a while, then smiled and said, “About that, let’s renew the contract. Apart from Starry Sky, where else can I find a company that can offer me such generous conditions?”

Su Mo seemed to disagree with his decision and asked, “Have you ever thought about opening your own studio?”

Lu Yan sighed, “Of course I have thought about it. But now is not the time.”

Su Mo looked at him and said seriously, “What if I become a shareholder and invest in you?”

Lu Yan looked back at him without saying anything.

Su Mo continued, “When opening a personal studio, the most important things are money and resources. Money is even secondary, resources are the most important. You don’t have to worry about resources. I will let Qin Feng go with you, and if I become a shareholder, I can legitimately provide you with resources, and Starry sky will also be your backing. As for money, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Lu Yan thought for a moment and said, “If you were the one who asked, I believe Brother Feng would be willing to go with me. In fact, I still have some money on hand, so I should be able to support a smaller scale.”

“No,” Su Mo interrupted, “If we are going to do it, we will do it the best. We will hire the best team, plan, promote… we will try our best to get the best. Only with reasonable investment can we get better returns. You don’t need to compromise yourself, you have me, you deserve the best. In addition, you will have 60% of the shares of the studio and I will have 40%…”

Lu Yan wanted to say something when he heard this, but Su Mo stopped him. “Listen to me first. You must be the majority shareholder and have the absolute right to speak. You cannot allow others to have the opportunity to question your authority. But you don’t need to worry about these trivial matters. I will find professionals to do it. Then you just need to nod, sign, and be the boss. That’s it.”

After Su Mo finished speaking, he smiled and said, “Okay, Mr. Lu, if you have any questions, you can ask them now.”

Lu Yan knew that Su Mo had thought of everything. He was so concerned about himself that he had no room to refuse. So he joked, “I only have one question now. Is it okay for Mr. Su to dig into his own corner like this?”

Su Mo smiled slightly, “Didn’t you say that I’m a shrewd businessman? The starry sky belongs to the Su family, but the Su family doesn’t just belong to me.” He lowered his body and approached Lu Yan, saying ambiguously, “But you belong to me alone.” He lowered his head and slowly untied Lu Yan’s tie. “You have the ability, and I have the resources and money. Why should I let others have a share?”

Lu Yan hugged him tightly around his waist, turned around and pressed him against the armrest of the sofa, raised the corner of his mouth, and stroked his cheek slowly with one hand. His eyes were hot and deep, and his voice was hoarse, “You are indeed a profiteer! But I like you very much!”

The next day, Lu Yan invited Qin Feng to his workshop.

“Brother Feng, I already have the answer to the question you asked me yesterday.”

Qin Feng nodded. “There is nothing to hesitate about. At present, renewing the contract is your best choice. I believe that Starry Sky will give you the most favorable conditions and the greatest freedom. I also hope that you can stay in Starry Sky so that we can continue to cooperate. I can help you get better conditions than the previous contract.”

Lu Yan smiled slightly. Qin Feng’s idea coincided with his previous one. If Su Mo was not there, this would indeed be his best choice. But the fact is that there is a big president behind him, so he smiled and said, “No, I don’t plan to renew the contract. I will set up my own independent studio.”

Qin Feng was obviously surprised. He frowned. In his opinion, Lu Yan was not such an irrational person who did not know his own limits. “Although you are already a little famous now, you have only been in the industry for three years. You are still a newcomer and your foundation is too shallow. You have to know that it is not enough to have money to set up a studio. The most important thing is resources and connections. This is exactly what you need to accumulate now. Do you want to reconsider it? If you continue to develop at your current pace for another three years, I will definitely support your decision. ” 

Lu Yan smiled faintly and said, “So, I want to ask Brother Feng, are you willing to help me?”

Qin Feng thought for a while, then shook his head, “Lu Yan, I admit that we have had a pleasant cooperation over the past two years. You are also the most promising artist I have ever worked with. I believe that in time, you will become a superstar. However, you should also know that although I am known as a gold medal agent in the circle, many times, others do not give me face, but value the power I represent. Therefore, after leaving Starry sky, I dare not guarantee how much ability I still have. I may not be able to help you. “

Lu Yan sighed slightly and said with a smile, “You see, I knew that if it were just me, Brother Feng would not agree.”

Qin Feng was stunned. It seemed that Lu Yan’s words were not directed at him. Could there be a third person in the room?

Sure enough, another voice was heard, and someone pushed the door open from the locker room. “What if I’m included?”

Qin Feng was very familiar with this voice, and even more familiar with this person. He was almost frightened, “Di, Director Su?”

Su Mo nodded slightly, “I will hold 40% of the shares of Lu Yan’s studio. If you agree, you will get half of the shares. And all my resources, as long as they are for the development of the studio and Lu Yan, you can use them at will.”

Qin Feng was so shocked that he couldn’t close his mouth.

A half-full share of a celebrity’s personal studio may not seem like much, but with Su Mo, a business genius, as a shareholder, its weight was immediately incomparable. The most attractive thing was the last sentence, what did it mean to use Su Mo’s resources at will? Su Mo’s resources alone were equal to the entire Starry Sky, plus he also had the Su Group, which naturally included the Starry Sky. This meant that in the future, almost no one in the entire domestic entertainment industry would not give him face.

As an agent, what could be more exciting than this?

Qin Feng was almost eager to agree, but he still had some questions, “Director Su, why are you…”

He hadn’t finished asking his question because he had seen Su Mo walk up to Lu Yan and sit on the armrest of his chair, bending his waist slightly, while Lu Yan was looking up at him with a smile, their eyes locked with infinite tenderness.

Qin Feng was not a dull person. He was just stunned for a moment when he saw this scene. All the details that he couldn’t figure out before came together.

He remembered that Lu Yan said his lover was not a woman, but he did not specify who it was.

He recalled the car that picked up Lu Yan on the night he returned from Cannes. It looked so familiar because he had seen Su Mo driving it a long time ago.

He recalled Song Hui’s hesitant expression every time they teased Lu Yan’s lover.

He remembered that the reason he took on the newcomer Lu Yan in the first place was because of Su Mo’s words.

…

Ah, so that’s how it is!

Lu Yan and Su Mo looked at each other for a while, then turned to look at Qin Feng who was still a little dazed, and said with a smile, “Brother Feng, do you have any other questions?”

“You, you…” Qin Feng found himself speechless.

Lu Yan gently held Su Mo’s hand, placed it on his lips and kissed it lightly, then raised his head and said, “Let me introduce you again. This is my love, Su Mo.”

Su Mo looked down at him, his eyes tender and gentle.

Qin Feng swore that he had never seen Director Su with this kind of style.

Qin Feng suddenly asked, “Can I have a cigarette?”

Lu Yan seemed to understand his feelings and said sympathetically, “Please do as you please.”

Qin Feng’s hands were still shaking as he took the cigarette out of his pocket. He finally lit it and took two deep puffs before he gradually calmed down.

The stimulation today was quite great, even more shocking than the last time Lu Yan came out with him.

After finishing his cigarette, Qin Feng calmed down. His answer was straightforward, “I agree.”

Expected answer.

Lu Yan stood up, walked over and shook his hand, “I’m very happy to continue working with you, Brother Feng.”

Su Mo said, “Lu Yan’s contract with Starry sky will last for another six months. When that time comes, I will ask Su Jue to help you terminate the contract. You just need to sign a contract with the studio. The equity transfer letter will be given to you when you sign the contract.”

“Okay, thank you Director Su!”

Su Mo smiled slightly, “Don’t thank me, you still have a lot to do. You don’t have to worry about the specific procedures of setting up a studio, but you need to find the specific planning, publicity and other personnel. Money is not a problem, you must find the best and most suitable one.”

“I understand, Director Su, don’t worry, these are exactly my expertise.” Qin Feng said.

“I have always been very confident in you.” Su Mo said with a smile, “Also, don’t announce this news to the public for the time being. Wait until you finish filming this movie with Chen Li and then announce it during the promotion.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I thought.” Qin Feng nodded.

Lu Yan deliberately waved his hands, “It sounds like there is nothing for me to do.”

Su Mo turned around and smiled, “Your task is the most important. You are responsible for filming well, and it would be best if you could win a few more awards. You should also do a good job in making programs and commercials to increase your popularity. Don’t forget that you are the soul of the studio, and the entire studio will depend on you in the future.”

“Yes, sir. I will work hard to support my family and won’t let you down.” Lu Yan hugged him while smiling.

Looking at the two people in front of him who were unconsciously firing flash bombs, Qin Feng suddenly understood Song Hui’s feelings. Qin Feng seemed to have foreseen that he would be blinded by all kinds of flashes in the future.

However, having determined the future direction, Qin Feng was in a good mood and became even more motivated.

A new journey begins from this moment!

Charity Auction 2

The two men who were walking over were both men, one old and one young. The old man looked to be in his fifties, and the young man was about thirty-something. They looked a bit like father and son.

After hearing Su Mo’s words, Lu Yan began to pay attention to the two people. However, Lu Yan was sure that he had never seen these two people before, he just felt that their faces looked familiar.

When the two men came up to him, the older man smiled and stretched out his hand, saying to Su Mo, “Boss Su, you’re here too.”

Su Mo also smiled and shook hands with him gently, “It’s rare to see Mr. Chen come in person.”

Mr. Chen still smiled and said, “Doing charity is a good thing.”

Su Mo didn’t say anything, but nodded slightly to the young man behind Old Chen and said with a smile, “The eldest master is here too.”

The young man stepped forward and said politely, “Hello, Mr. Su.”

Su Mo smiled and nodded.

After greeting, Mr. Chen took a closer look at Lu Yan, who was sitting next to Su Mo, and especially at the golden bidding card in his hand, and asked, “Mr. Su, who is this?”

Su Mo said in a casual tone, “Oh, his name is Lu Yan.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan smiled and nodded to the two of them.

Su Mo turned around and smiled at Lu Yan, “This is Mr. Chen Baisheng, and that is his eldest son, Chen Xu.”

Lu Yan suddenly realized that they were Chen Yue’s father and brother. The three of them looked very similar, no wonder they looked familiar. 

Chen Baisheng saw that Su Mo was friendly towards Lu Yan, which was different from how he treated others. In addition, seeing the sign in Lu Yan’s hand and the demeanor he displayed, he immediately had the same doubt as everyone else: Could he be a young man from a noble family?

From the looks in his eyes, Su and Lu knew there had been another misunderstanding, but neither of them wanted to explain.

Before eight o’clock, all the guests had arrived and the charity auction started on time.

The auction process was generally from low to high, and the items at the front had lower starting prices, so Lu Yan’s piece must be left to the end.

When the host showed each item, he would give a brief introduction and finally name the donor. Another advantage of this was that every guest present would have some connections, some wanted to build a good relationship with others, or some were partners who wanted to get closer to each other, so they would deliberately make offers of the donations of the person they wanted to establish a relationship with. 

After all, it would be embarrassing if no one wanted your donations at such charity auctions. Some people would even find a well-connected guest to buy the items and then pay to redeem them for the items in order to save face and avoid being ignored.

Therefore, it was rare for items to fail to be sold, and the more influential the person, the more popular the donations would be.

As you can imagine, the first few items had the lowest starting prices, and the donors were generally the least influential, so they were basically sold directly at the starting price plus one bid.

However, the guests present were basically all real aristocratic families in the city or newly emerging wealthy families, and their bids would not be too low, so the lowest starting price for donations was at least 500,000.

Most of the donations after that were between 500,000 and 1,000,000. Although the auction price was high, the donations were basically worth the price, and most of them were worth more than the price, so the guests present actually only donated their respective donations.

There were fewer donations worth more than a million, but there were still quite a few. The starting price of the watch donated by Su Mo was two million, not the highest, but it was also significant enough to match his status while also being low-key. But Lu Yan knew that the watch should be worth at least three million.

But these were not the main points. The main point was that the watch donated by Su Mo was the most competitive item in the auction. Except for Su Mo and Lu Yan, almost all the guests present participated in the bidding. The final transaction price was 7 million, which was not only several times higher than the starting price, but also far higher than its own value. 

The successful bidder was a middle-aged man in his forties. He looked so excited that he didn’t feel like he was being taken advantage of. On the contrary, many of the people who didn’t win the bid looked dejected.

Although there was nothing on the auction that interested Su Mo, it would not be a good idea to not buy anything on such an occasion, so he just casually bought two paintings. In stark contrast to the fierce bidding for his own donated works, once Su Mo opened his mouth, even those who were originally interested in the works stopped bidding, not to mention those who were not interested in the first place. So the two paintings that Su Mo wanted were sold with just one bid plus the starting price. This was very unusual for the most popular collectibles in such an event. But in Su Mo, all the unreasonable things become reasonable. 

Su Mo was indifferent to this phenomenon, as he had long been accustomed to it.

Lu Yan looked at Su Mo with particularly bright eyes and laughed softly, “It turns out that Director Su is so influential!”

Su Mo deliberately glanced at him sideways, “I thought you knew it a long time ago.”

Lu Yan smiled meaningfully and said, “It’s not too late to know now.”

The two chatted quietly for a few words. The auction had already come to an end, and the host’s tone became particularly excited. “Next is the last item of this auction, which is also the most valuable donation I have seen in all the charity auctions I have hosted. Please forgive us that this item cannot be shown to you for the time being, but you can rest assured that we have already authenticated it and it is absolutely authentic. This item is now under the care of our staff, waiting for the right person to take it away. I think everyone must be very curious about what this lot is. Well, I won’t keep you in suspense. This lot is…”

As the host spoke, he motioned for a staff member holding a plate to come over, removed the cover, and said loudly, “Aston Martin’s latest global limited edition this year! There are only 100 of this latest limited edition sports car in the world. Whether it is performance, appearance, or collection value, it is currently the top…”

The host then continued to introduce the items in a torrent of words, which was completely different from the previous concise introduction of each item.

The guests present were also a little excited. As long as they were interested in cars, especially sports cars, few people could resist the temptation of this top-of-the-line sports car. This Aston Martin, which was limited to 100 units worldwide, was truly priceless and not something you could buy just because you have money. Chen Yue had spent countless thoughts and tried every possible means to finally get this car. If he had not been so overconfident and had not been so impulsive at the time, he would never have gambled with Lu Yan on this car.

The host introduced the event for almost ten minutes before finally saying, “Let us applaud Mr. Lu Yan, the most generous donor tonight.”

The host pointed his finger over there, and everyone’s eyes turned to him. Lu Yan stood up slightly, bowed, and then sat back down. Everyone else suddenly understood. No wonder he had a gold medal. It turned out that it was donated by Aston Martin. What a generous person.

At this time, the host was already bidding, “This is a top-of-the-line sports car that is limited to only 100 units worldwide and is extremely valuable. The starting price is: 35 million!”

In fact, this price was lower than the price of the car itself, not to mention its added value, so the bidding was very fierce at the beginning. However, only a few guests who really loved sports cars participated in the bidding, and there was no situation of bidding all over the place like Su Mo’s donation just now.

The only two people who felt uncomfortable were the Chen father and son.

When the host started introducing the car, Chen Xu whispered in Chen Bosheng’s ear, “Dad, could it be the one he lost?”

As far as he knew, only one of his younger brothers, Chen Yue, had bought this top-of-the-line sports car, which was limited to 100 units worldwide. He just lost this sports car some time ago, and it appeared at the auction today. It was too coincidental. Besides, if it wasn’t obtained so easily, how could anyone be willing to donate it?

Chen Bosheng’s face also looked unhappy. “This prodigal son, I think it’s 80% true. Moreover, this car should have been donated by Mr. Lu who is next to Mr. Su. No wonder he didn’t tell us who he lost to when we asked him.”

Although he was willing to accept the loss, he felt annoyed that his own things were used by others to show off. Chen Xu sighed in his heart, this little brother was too ignorant, and he whispered, “Do you want us to bid for it?”

Chen Bosheng shook his head. “No matter who Mr. Lu is, didn’t you see how Mr. Su treated him? He is not someone we can afford to offend. If bid for the car, doesn’t that mean we’re not happy with him winning the sports car?”

Chen Xu nodded. His father still thought long-term. “I understand.”

Chen Baisheng glanced at his eldest son and sighed in his heart. Although the eldest and second sons had good qualifications and had helped a lot in the company over the years and had gradually matured, they were still far behind the Su brothers. But then again, even these old hands had to obey Su Mo, so who among the young people nowadays could be his opponent? In the future, they still had to follow the Su family’s lead.

The final transaction price of the car was 45 million, which was exactly in line with the value of the car itself.

After the deal was concluded, the host specially invited Lu Yan, the biggest donor of the night, to come on stage to say a few words. Lu Yan did not refuse, but walked up to the stage generously, smiled and said, “Actually, the generous person is not me, but someone else. Tonight, I am just borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha1¹. The real donor of this Aston Martin is Mr. Chen Yue. He cannot attend the auction tonight because of something, so he asked me to donate on his behalf. I think we should give applause to Mr. Chen who is truly generous! “

The Chen family father and son were stunned amid the applause. They had never thought that Lu Yan would say that.

At this time, a guest who was already on good terms with Chen Bosheng came over and touched him, “Isn’t your second son called Chen Yue? Is this the car he donated?”

“Why, you didn’t know? Why didn’t he let you donate the car, and instead asked someone else to donate?”

Chen Bosheng had come back to his senses and deliberately said angrily, “He probably wanted to surprise us. We definitely support this kind of good deed. We must teach him a lesson when we get back.”

“Hey, stop it. Your second son has finally grown up. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

Chen Bosheng’s face was already full of smiles, but he was still saying, “No, no, the kid is naughty, naughty!”

At this time, other people who were acquainted with the Chen family also came over and praised Chen Yue to Chen Bosheng.

Chen Bosheng’s heart was filled with joy. For a father, it was more fulfilling to have his son praised by others than to praise himself directly.

When Lu Yan came here, he drove the Aston Martin that had been donated, and now when he went back, he happened to be with Su Mo.

The two were looking for a car in the parking lot when they heard someone calling out from behind, “Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu, please stay!”

The two of them turned around together, and as expected, it was the Chen father and son who caught up with them.

Chen Bosheng bowed to Lu Yan and said, “Mr. Lu, thank you very much for saying that today.”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, you are too polite. I am telling the truth. The car is indeed Chen Yue’s. I just took the initiative to deal with it. I hope you don’t mind.”

Chen Bosheng waved his hand and said, “Mr. Lu, don’t say that. We all know that Chen Yue lost the car to you. You have the right to do whatever you want with it. I want to thank you for helping us save the face of the Chen family and letting Chen Yue shine. Thank you.”

What Chen Bosheng said was true. Anyway, Chen Yue bought a limited edition Aston Martin, and many people in the circle knew about it. He was not the kind of person who could keep secrets, and young people like to show off. When he first bought the car, he showed it off in the circle. Now that he no longer had the car, many people would definitely ask about its whereabouts. Even if they didn’t ask directly, the fact that he lost the car would soon be exposed. And since Lu Yan donated the car “on behalf of ” Chen Yue with great fanfare today, most people will no longer ask about the car and would only be surprised at Chen Yue’s generosity. Because no one believed that someone would donate such a good car that they won, and in the name of the original owner.

For the Chen family, money was not an issue; face was the most important thing.

Lu Yan’s words not only saved the Chen family from becoming a laughing stock, but also made the Chen family famous, so Lu Yan deserved his thanks.

After the Chen family father and son left, Su Mo looked at Lu Yan and said with a smile, “You are quite cunning, Mr. Lu.”

Lu Yan spread his hands and said, “It’s just a small effort. What’s wrong with doing a favor? Besides, I didn’t intend to be in the spotlight in the first place.”

Su Mo nodded, “It’s a good idea. Although the Chen family doesn’t have a lot of money, they are one of the richest families in the city. Sometimes, money makes the world go round. Even if some noble families say they are nouveau riche in their hearts, they still try to please them on the surface. It is much smarter to make friends with them than to offend them.”

“I figured it out.” Lu Yan said with a smile.

A playboy from the Chen family who did not work could easily lose a sports car worth tens of millions without blinking an eye, which showed how wealthy he was.

Notes

1. Metaphor for using someone else’s things as a favor. ↩︎