Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 336 Taking action after hearing the news
Who is the most difficult person to deal with in this world?

If you ask Yang Mi, she will answer Liu Yifei.

If you were to name three, Yang Mi would answer: Liu Yifei, Shu Chang, and Liu Shishi.

If you ask Liu Jing, he will definitely answer "XiXi".

If there are three, it would be Xixi, Anfeng, and Liu Yifei.

Liu Jing spoke at length, earnestly and patiently, until his mouth was dry.

All of this was useless, because Sisi was completely unreasonable and only said, "I want to act."

One sword can break all laws; this sword is useless against others, but very useful against Liu Jing.

Things are different now than when we were kids; you can't hit them, you can't scold them, and you can't say anything to them.

Liu Jing felt that Qianqian was pushing him against his will, that he had fallen into a conspiracy, and that a simple sibling relationship was better.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Jing muttered, "She's getting more and more unreasonable as she gets older. All that cuteness she had when she was little has been wasted. She's completely unreasonable. I'm doing this for her own good, and she's still not happy about it."

After hanging up the phone, Qianqian angrily threw her pillow. "The older you get, the more domineering you become! You used to be so cute, but now you're so annoying. What's wrong with me wanting a role? You gave Yang Mi so many roles, but you won't give me any. You piece of trash, this isn't over. I'll pester you every day and see how you pick up girls."

The script for "The Message" provided by the system has some flaws, and Liu Jing wants to make it perfect, so he hasn't officially approved the project yet.

He had a plan: the project was initiated before the Olympics, preparations began in September, filming started at the end of the year, and it was released during the National Day holiday next year.

So the tasks for the second half of the year are clear: filming "Chinese Paladin 3", directing the promotional video for Wuzhong, releasing "Under the City Wall" and "Painted Skin", and preparing and casting for "The Message".

He lit another cigarette. Sisi was the first to ask for a role, but she would definitely not be the last.

His first directorial film grossed over 200 million yuan, and his second film won the Cannes Jury Prize. What will his third film be like?

There's no word yet on the adaptation of "The Message." But once word gets out, artists will definitely jump on the bandwagon, and in a very frenzied way.

Ten days ago, Liu Jing gave the script of "The Message" to the screenwriting department and made two requests.

First, you point out the flaws in this script, and we'll work together to improve it.

Secondly, you can continue working on the scripts you've done before, expand on some content, and turn them into a TV series.

Liu Jing benefited from the success of "The Sacred Flame Order" and the TV series "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," so he wants to continue following this model.

The film "The Message" was prepared first, and the TV series version was prepared immediately after filming began. The TV series started filming after the film finished, with some time difference, but they shared the same crew.

Scenery, costumes, props, personnel, and even actors can be shared, saving a lot of costs and time.

Jackie Chan also learned this skill, and while working on "The Myth II", he adapted "The Myth" into a TV series.

This model has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages, and the risks are not insignificant.

If the movie version is a flop, it will severely impact the reputation of the TV series.

Liu Jing stubbed out his cigarette, casting aside his worries, and then texted his assistant, "Bring me some fried liver and two sets of jianbing guozi."

After sending the text message, Liu Jingcai realized that his assistant was in Xi'an, not in Yandu at all.

"Sigh! Human habits are truly terrifying..." Liu Jing sighed, having unknowingly grown accustomed to the presence of his assistant, and would instruct Xiao Bai on everything.

He was about to send another message to his assistant when the assistant replied with just two words, "Okay."

"He's still awake." Liu Jing muttered.

Little did he know, the assistant was so excited that he couldn't sleep and decided to get up and write his thesis.

Congratulations and blessings kept coming. After finishing Gao Yuanyuan's call, Liu Jing immediately silenced his phone, ignoring any calls that came in.

Liu Jing didn't plan to let the lottery draw chance last overnight.

Congratulations! You have won the martial arts "Xingyi Quan". Please choose a suitable time to claim your prize.

Tasteless!

Liu Jing sighed. Another 50,000 points would have to be spent. He'd give it to whoever was destined to receive it.

As for the definition of "fate," from today onwards, whoever is the first to sleep with someone will receive this skill.

"Dangdangdang..."

Around 7 a.m., before the start of the workday, someone knocked on the door of the editing room.

"Hey, aren't you in Hengdian?" A sharp-eyed editor asked, quite surprised.

"Head Secretary" is a proper noun for Zhang Tianai, and many people in the company call her that. Behind her back, she is also known as "Big Ornament".

"My scenes have wrapped up, but the rest of the filming isn't finished yet. Sister Dong told me to come back early," Zhang Tianai explained, carrying several bags on the table. "Sister Dong asked me to bring you some food, including fruit and pancakes. Help yourselves if you want some."

"Sister Dong is not at the company but she still thinks of us. We are so touched."

"I thought I was going to eat in the cafeteria again today. Finally, I can have a change of pace."

"It would be great if we had soy milk and fried dough sticks."

Liu Jing quietly went out; the fried liver and jianbing guozi had arrived.

"Young Master Jing, Sister Dong just contacted me and asked me to cover your shift for the next month. If you need anything, feel free to call me." Zhang Tianai followed Liu Jing into the office and skillfully poured water and made tea.

"Are you sure you can handle this? Xiaobai has handled a lot of things." Liu Jing looked him up and down, his eyes full of disbelief.

Of course he knew about this; Bai Bing had told him.

Bai Bing adjusted Zhang Tianai's schedule to prioritize filming her scenes as Zhao Min, allowing this "big shot" to return earlier.

Liu Jing didn't disbelieve the matter itself, but rather he didn't believe in Zhang Tianai's abilities.

“A personal assistant, not a work assistant. Sister Dong said that you work so hard that you forget to eat and sleep. For work-related matters, I can help you send and receive emails, make and receive phone calls, and relay information…” Zhang Tianai wasn’t angry. She admitted that her work ability was indeed not as good as Bai Bing’s, which was a fact.

“Xiaobai is indeed not as good as you at these tasks,” Liu Jing interrupted, “Isn’t this exactly the scope of your work as Zhang Min’s secretary?”

“I…I can make tea better than Sister Dong.” Zhang Tianai was speechless. Even if she was slow-witted, she could tell that this was not a compliment.

“Indeed, she is not as good as you in this respect. What else?” Liu Jing had just finished breakfast, picked up his cup and tasted the tea. It was indeed more flavorful than the tea brewed by Xiao Bai.

Xiaobai can also brew tea, but only by putting tea leaves into boiling water; she doesn't have the patience for that.

"besides……"

A top student, a law student, a talented singer and dancer, multi-talented, intelligent and capable, meticulous in handling affairs, with strong execution skills, and the most promising agent...

These are all labels associated with Bai Bing, which she can't even come close to.

Zhang Tianai thought it over in her mind, but she wasn't bothered at all. "I'm already very satisfied that I'm better than her in one area."

"Contentment brings happiness. Congratulations on passing the interview, based on that statement," Liu Jing said with a smile.

Zhang Tianai muttered to herself, "If I were ugly, I wouldn't be content with what I have, but rather indulging in wishful thinking."

"I'll be quite busy for the next month. Since you're my personal assistant, I'll be handling all the details of your life, including food, clothing, and accommodation. You can ask Xiaobai what I like to eat. During working hours, you'll be responsible for everything, from meals and lodging to clothing. Outside of working hours, don't worry about these things; I'll take care of them," Liu Jing instructed.

"Okay! Got it." Zhang Tianai replied quickly.

"When I'm traveling, I'm not too picky about food and clothing, but I am quite particular about accommodation. The room must be quiet, comfortable, spacious, and safe, and it can't be too cold in winter..."

“I can warm your bed,” Zhang Tianai responded readily.

"It's summer, you won't have a chance." Liu Jing said irritably, deciding to let Xiao Bai explain.

"What's wrong with summer? Am I not in good shape?" Zhang Tianai puffed out her chest, finally having a chance for private contact, so of course she wanted to unleash her allure.

"Stop being so flirtatious, I'm not interested right now. Go check who gave the script for 'The Message' to Xixi. This is the first thing I've given you, well done, even better than a pretty body." Liu Jing didn't even bother to look at her; what kind of body hadn't he seen?

For him, a beautiful appearance is secondary; an interesting soul is primary, except for Gulnazar.

“I know the rules of the scriptwriting department. What if I handle this well?” Zhang Tianai asked rhetorically.

The scriptwriting department has a rule that it is strictly forbidden to disclose the content of the script; this is the first rule.

Since Sisi had a complete script, she must have had an insider assisting her.

“Xiaobai knows I’m a person who always rewards and punishes fairly. If she does a good job, I’ll reward her with a car, a house, and money. If she doesn’t do a good job, she’ll definitely be punished—with whips, sticks, and awls…”

"Ah! This is so cruel!" Zhang Tianai exclaimed in shock. "Should I call the police? This is torture."

“Being my assistant is dangerous,” Liu Jing said with a smile. His assistant often deliberately made small mistakes in order to seek punishment. He seriously suspected that his assistant was a pervert.

"The script was given by President Wen. Your adaptation of 'The Message' silenced the entire scriptwriting department. These people are usually arrogant and conceited, and those few days they were like wilted eggplants. The whole company knows that you've ruined the scriptwriting department, cough cough, it's almost destroyed their confidence. Of course, President Wen was curious too, so he asked the scriptwriting department for a copy. After reading it, President Wen said that both roles were quite suitable for Qianqian. I think the copy your sister has must have been given by President Wen." Zhang Tianai finished speaking in one breath, fearing some kind of punishment.

Whipping with a club is truly terrifying.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight. Let Bai Bing bear it.

"Oh, I see." Liu Jing said thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table. "Go to the scriptwriting department. There's a meeting at 10:30 to discuss the progress of the 'The Message' script."

"Okay," Zhang Tianai replied verbally, without moving her body.

"What are you standing there for? Are you waiting for me to treat you to dinner?" Liu Jing frowned. The large ornament was not as convenient as his assistant's.

"I...I have something to say." Zhang Tianai took a deep breath. If she didn't say anything about Zhang Ziyi, she felt like she had a landmine sitting on her bottom.

"explain."

“That day you gave me a room key, and I thought you had booked a room and were waiting for me to deliver it to you… She said she would provide me with resources to help me succeed. She also hoped that I could help her when she needed it.”

As Zhang Tianai told stories, Liu Jingzhen felt like she was listening to a story.

Only stories can be this absurd.

"A true dragon and a phoenix!" Liu Jing exclaimed.

He was referring to Gulnazar and Zhang Tianai, both of whom are very beautiful, but both have mental issues.

The person in front of me thinks he's very smart and has a high opinion of himself, but he's not as smart as Nazha who thinks she has no brains.

“I…I didn’t agree to her request. I was scared by her at the time.” Zhang Tianai lowered her head, her small hands folding the hem of her clothes. “She contacted me the day before yesterday, saying she wanted to introduce me to a movie. I guess introducing a movie is just a gimmick; she probably wants to ask me about the company. I’m President Min’s secretary, so I definitely know more than the average person. She’s a big star, and I’m just a nobody. This is the only thing I can do to help her.”

"There's still hope; he has some cleverness," Liu Jing commented.

"What should I do? I don't want to talk to her, but I'm afraid she'll cause me trouble." Zhang Tianai was anxious. Liu Jing smiled, "Tell Xiaobai about this; she'll definitely be interested in something like this."

"Hmm." Zhang Tianai breathed a sigh of relief, the weight lifted from her heart.

"Is there anything else?" Liu Jing frowned. This girl seemed to be glued to the bench, showing no intention of leaving.

If Xiaobai were here, the bed in the lounge would already be made up, and there would be a cup of hot tea on the bedside table.

The boss didn't sleep all night; he's not made of iron, he definitely needs to take a nap.

"I'll go to the scriptwriting department right now." Zhang Tianai said, but then swallowed the words back, as if she had missed her chance.

After sleeping for two hours, Liu Jing was full of energy again and felt completely revitalized.

The small meeting of the screenwriting team was very successful. Everyone had their opinions and suggestions, and each person came up with a better solution.

Some screenwriters suggested adding elements of cryptography and traditional opera, others suggested adding a "locked room escape" segment, still others suggested retaining the open-ended suspense of "Li Ningyu may be a real ghost," and one screenwriter even suggested that Wang Tianxiang recite the Analects during the interrogation and execution.

One screenwriter offered an excellent suggestion: draw inspiration from three novels and works, upgrading the film by combining the emotional depth of *Lust, Caution*, the psychological thriller of *Shutter Island*, and the professionalism of *Alan Turing's Biography*, to create a spy thriller that is both exciting and profound. This would make the characters' beliefs more concrete, rather than relying solely on torture to drive the plot.

Liu Jing adopted this suggestion and used it as the framework for adjusting the script.

Li Ningyu's cryptography expertise was only superficially demonstrated. More details about her codebreaking should be added, such as mathematical formula derivations or an auditory representation of Morse code. Designing an intellectual duel between Li Ningyu and Takeda would be reminiscent of the game between Turing and the officer in the biography of Turing.

Gu Xiaomeng's motives are vague, and her sacrifice lacks foreshadowing. Some screenwriters have suggested drawing inspiration from Wang Jiazhi's motives, using flashbacks of her father being killed by the Japanese army.

Bai Xiaonian, as the first victim, serves to advance the plot, but lacks depth. One screenwriter suggested revealing his secret relationship with the commander, such as homosexual feelings. During his torture, he could hum the Kunqu opera "The Peony Pavilion" as a way to resist violence.

Gu Xiaomeng and Bai Xiaonian proposed a screenwriter, and Liu Jing suspected that this person had done a lot of research on Ang Lee.

Liu Jing gathered these suggestions, added his own ideas, and secluded himself for half a month to finally finalize the script.

The promotional video was edited and submitted at the end of the month, after which the organizing committee gave a lot of feedback.

These people are no pushovers; they scrutinize every frame with a magnifying glass, a hundred times stricter than film censorship.

After repeatedly requesting revisions, Liu Jing finally lost patience and started working directly with several editors right under the noses of the organizing committee.

"Ugh! It's so ugly. They said I have bad taste, but you guys aren't even here," Liu Jing muttered to himself.

He just came out of the Bird's Nest; today is a good day.

With the Bird's Nest announced as completed, its promotional video is also completely finished, with nothing left to change and no further modifications required.

The buzz surrounding Liu Jing winning the Cannes Jury Prize has gradually subsided over the past month.

He was so busy that he paid no attention to anything else, and the opening ceremony proceeded smoothly.

A week later, all the performers rehearsed in full dress, marking the start of the countdown to the opening ceremony.

Liu Jing, a member of the creative team, has been given a new role today in recognition of her outstanding performance recently: one of the on-site coordinators for the opening ceremony, responsible for coordinating various departments including the directing team, technical team, security, and logistics.

This position is very demanding; it wasn't appointed by Zhang Yimou, but directly by the organizing committee.

The on-site coordination requires a high level of expertise, including a thorough understanding of the opening ceremony program, a certain level of prestige, and, most importantly, a strong political and ideological background.

No one is more suitable than Liu Jing.

The organizing committee discovered that none of the performers or group members at the opening ceremony dared to bare their teeth at Liu Jing, including the chief director. Therefore, they directly entrusted the on-site coordination work to Liu Jing.

The first thing Liu Jing did upon taking up his post was to come to the site to investigate.

"Liu Jing, congratulations."

Just as Liu Jing was about to get into the car, a vehicle honked its horn, and Han Sanping got out of the car.

"Hey! Isn't this Chairman Han? What a coincidence that we've met here."

Han Sanping laughed, "It's no coincidence at all. I came here specifically to find you. It was really difficult to find you. I went to Chunqiu, but they said you were with the organizing committee. I went to the organizing committee, but they said you were in the opening ceremony preparation office. Luckily, I contacted Zhang Yimou in advance, otherwise I would have made another wasted trip."

"Oh dear! Mr. Han, just let me know if you need anything, and I'll definitely come to your door." Liu Jing said, looking embarrassed.

Han Sanping snorted, "You little devil who talks nonsense to everyone, I can never get through to your phone, and when I ask your assistant, he knows nothing."

As they were talking, another person got out of the car with a smile on his face. "Liu Jing, long time no see. You've gotten more and more handsome."

"Hey! Isn't this Sister Xu Qing? It's so hot, I was worried about making you run around with Chairman Han." Liu Jing said with a smile. What do you mean by "long time no see"? It seems like we haven't seen each other at all.

"It's getting late, why don't you buy me a couple of drinks?" Xu Qing smiled, her dimples almost burying people.

"Some other time, I'm too busy today. I just finished inspecting the site and I need to write a report for tomorrow's meeting," Liu Jing said, shaking his head.

Bai Bing also got out of the car, chuckled, and said that "another day" and "another day" are two different things.

The boss said another day, which means he's really not interested in this person.

If the boss says "another day," then they really mean it.

Although she had been working for the boss for more than two years, she didn't quite understand these subtexts; Gao Yuanyuan figured them out herself.

Han Sanping just contacted her; she's right next to the boss. The boss doesn't want to see her, so she knows nothing about it.

Bai Bing had just returned from school and would be going back in a few days to attend her graduation ceremony. From then on, she would be free to roam the world.

The graduation party and the graduation ceremony are not the same thing. The party was held in early June, and the boss took two days out of his busy schedule to attend it.

That day, she sang a song called "Can't Help Falling in Love" on stage, having prepared for it quietly for half a year.

"You must be Bai Bing? You're so pretty, I love your face." Xu Qing held Bai Bing's hand, looking very appreciative.

Han Sanping's lips twitched. He wanted to say something, "Weren't you clueless just now? What are you doing here now?"
Bai Bing wasn't embarrassed at all. Seemingly aware of Lao Han's frustration, she exchanged a few pleasantries with Xu Qing before taking the initiative to explain, "President Han, I just arrived too. I was just about to pick up the boss and take him back to the company when I saw you. Let's not stand outside, let's sit in the car."

Old Han's complexion has improved considerably. Whether it's true or not, I don't know, but at least this is an explanation.

Liu Jing's car was spacious, and the air conditioning was on. Once inside, the heat subsided considerably.

With soft music playing, Lao Han's heart gradually calmed down.

"Mr. Han, there are only drinks and bottled water in the car, so they're not very cold," Bai Bing said with a smile.

She had already discussed Lao Han's intentions with the boss and acted on them.

China Film Group is the regulatory authority and also needs to achieve performance targets.

Liu Jing's two films have achieved remarkable success, and as the person in charge, how could Lao Han not take notice?

"Liu Jing, Uncle Han won't beat around the bush with you. You're a straightforward person, so let's get straight to the point. I went to the Film Bureau yesterday, and I have some bad news for you." Old Han was calm and collected, finally putting on his usual demeanor.

"Uncle Han, please speak," Liu Jingshun said.

"The 'Wind Message' project has been filed and approved, but there are some issues with the script. This isn't like 'Under the City Wall,' where special arrangements can be made. The atrocities committed by the Japanese army cannot be overemphasized to avoid inflaming nationalistic sentiments. The underground party must clearly demonstrate victory, and Gu Xiaomeng's sacrifice needs a hopeful ending. Also, the scene of Takeda's seppuku needs to be downplayed; it's meant to showcase the spirit of Bushido." Old Han took a couple of sips of water and explained the issues.

Liu Jing pondered for a long time. The car was quiet as he waited for his thoughts.

"These are easy to handle. I will adjust the script based on the review comments."

"There are two more points you need to pay special attention to. The Wang Jingwei regime needs to be downplayed, and the specific time points need to be changed. For example, instead of 1941, why not change it to the period of the War of Resistance against Japan?" Old Han continued.

Liu Jing smiled wryly. These elements were not in the original script. The screenwriters suggested adding them, so Liu Jing made the modifications.

No wonder the script provided by the system wasn't there; it turned out to have been rejected during the review process.

“These are all minor matters. Filing a project for approval isn’t like film censorship; they only focus on the general direction. This script has a special subject matter, so it needs to be submitted separately for review by the United Front Work Department and the Party History Office. Moreover, the actors need to undergo political vetting, and foreign actors need to provide proof of no criminal record. You’ve directed ‘Under the City Wall,’ so you should understand these things. If nothing’s wrong, then nothing’s wrong; if something does happen, it’ll be a big problem for you.” Old Han said earnestly.

"Uncle Han, thank you for the reminder." Liu Jing was grateful. This was such a small matter; there was no need to make a special trip to inform him. The fact that the head of China Film Group came here to ambush him meant there was definitely more to come.

"Liu Jing, China Film Group is under immense pressure, facing internal and external troubles, with domestic demand expanding overseas—these are all problems. Sitting in this position is like sitting on a volcano..."

Old Han first let out a long sigh, and then began to talk about how difficult it had been.

Liu Jing played the role of a good straight man, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

"The budget for 'The Message' is 60 million, and China Film Group wants to take 40% of the share." After talking for a while, Old Han finally revealed his true intentions.

"Uncle Han, as you know, Chunqiu is not short of funds. Let alone 60 million, we can even come up with 600 million." Liu Jing did not say anything to refuse. It was unrealistic for Chunqiu to be solely owned. If you always try to do everything yourself, you will have no friends.

"Thirty percent." Old Han held up three fingers and waved them around.

“Uncle Han, Chunqiu has a complete industrial chain. If other companies were to film this movie, even if they completely copied it, it would cost at least 100 million yuan.” Liu Jing smiled.

"Premium! Twenty million in funds, 25% share." Old Han frowned; this kid was really troublesome.

"Shanghai Film Group and we have a good working relationship..."

"Twenty million, a 20% share." Old Han slapped his thigh, determined to win this film. Losing investment in "The Sacred Flame" was already a regret; he didn't want it to happen again.

"The Hong Kong investors..."

Old Han couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted directly, "Liu Jing, there are many scenes of punishment in the script. If you're not careful, you'll cross the line. I'll give you another guarantee: as long as it doesn't go too far, I'll handle the censorship."

"Okay!" Liu Jing readily agreed.

Bai Bing's eyes lit up; this was completely different from negotiating resources with the production team, but it was something worth learning from.

"Liu Jing, your sister Xu Qing has been in the US for the past few years and is looking forward to returning to China to develop her career. Between the roles of Li Ningyu and Gu Xiaomeng, which one do you think is more suitable for her?"

After finishing the business, Lao Han wanted to talk about some personal matters.

"Liu Jing is exceptionally talented and has a discerning eye. I am old and faded, and I'm afraid I won't catch his eye," Xu Qing lamented, with a hint of sincerity and a touch of pretense.

She had been keeping an eye on Liu Jing. This young man hadn't looked at her once since they first met, not even stealing a glance.

"Uncle Han, Sister Xu Qing, if you had come to me a month ago, I would definitely have given you a role. But we just developed a scientific casting model, using 'The Message' as a pilot project, to make casting more scientific, formulaic, and industrialized, and then extend it to all our productions." Liu Jing said apologetically.

"This is a good thing, and it will also promote our country's film industry." Xu Qing chuckled, her eyes bright and clear, as if she had countless things to say to Liu Jing.

"It's definitely a good thing. I thought you were saving those two roles for Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan." Old Han had a headache; he was speechless at being given such a big accusation.

"You didn't see Liu Yifei's interview. She said she's not a 'resource-backed' star, and that her stinky younger brother is doing everything he can to suppress her," Xu Qing said with a grin.

Liu Jing sighed deeply, and an interview from half a month ago came to mind once again.

(End of this chapter)