Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 347 The Wind of the Wind, the Wind of Anfeng

Of the ten bonds, seven have generated skills, and now only Fan Xiaopang, Tang Yan, and Zeng Li remain untouched.

Fan Xiaopang's favorability rating is 86 points. He is hard to break through, and his favorability rating increases slowly.

Tang Yan's favorability rating is 84 points, and Liu Jing hasn't put much effort into her. He originally planned to increase her favorability rating during the filming of "Chinese Paladin 3." Since Qianqian is a producer on the set, Liu Jing intends to play the gentleman.

Zeng Li has the lowest favorability rating, currently at 81 points. The two haven't met much, their interactions limited to text messages, like online friends.

The stronger the bond skill, the more restrictions it has.

The same applies to Bai Bing's best agent; there are three prerequisites in total.

First, a separate brokerage firm needs to be established, and Bai Bing should be in charge of it.

Secondly, artists need to sign contracts with their companies.

Finally, this role had to be facilitated or facilitated by Bai Bing.

The so-called "minimal entertainment atmosphere" is better than the film crew suppressing any ambiance.

It's better than nothing, and little by little, if all the artists in the entertainment industry were under Bai Bing's management, the numbers would be terrifying.

Of course, this is wishful thinking and impossible.

The industry doesn't allow it, the country doesn't allow it, and our capabilities don't allow it.

Independent brokerage firms are not uncommon. For example, Wang Jinghua is currently preparing for one, and the company has already been registered. All that's left is to officially announce her break with Orange Sky Entertainment.

After leaving Huayi Brothers and joining Orange Sky Entertainment, Wang Jinghua ensured that all her signed artists' contracts were with a different company. Old Wu realized the seriousness of the situation and began poaching artists in advance, successfully managing to swindle some from Wang Jinghua. However, none of them were core members, as many of Wang Jinghua's artists had connections within the Beijing entertainment circle and were not easily broken up.

At the instigation of Xiao Wang, the break between Wang Jinghua and Orange Sky Entertainment accelerated. This top agent in Beijing's talent circle spread rumors that she was preparing to start her own independent agency.

Despite the hype surrounding "Red Cliff Part I," it didn't actually make money. However, Wang Jianlin was a master of hype, praising "Red Cliff Part II" and significantly inflating the stock price.

Rumors circulated that Wang Jinghua was leaving OrangeSky again, causing OrangeSky's stock price to plummet. Not only did all the gains disappear, but it also fell significantly below its original level.

Old Wu has been talking nonsense all day, about investing in this and that, trying to divert everyone's attention.

Mr. Wang has been having a lot of fun lately, frequently going to clubs to celebrate all night.

Before Wang Jinghua's agency was even established, Chunqiu took the lead in spinning off its agency business and establishing an independent agency.

Liu Jingduo was cunning. He told his assistant, "This is the gift I'm giving you."

The assistant was so moved that she cried and laughed at the same time, serving her boss tirelessly until she was completely exhausted.

Her favorability rating system had just been generated, and stimulated by the independent brokerage firm, it jumped directly from 93 points to 95 points.

After the Olympics ended, everyone seemed to feel unsatisfied, but Liu Jing didn't reminisce at all.

Several official media outlets publicly praised the directing team led by Zhang Yimou, and especially commended Liu Jing for working for four days and four nights without rest, and for collapsing into sleep during the opening ceremony.

Liu Jing felt that this wasn't just dying in his sleep, but rather that he was being forced to commit suicide.

Some netizens joked online that they were initially disappointed at missing the opening ceremony, but now they're not, since even the person closest to the opening ceremony didn't see it.

Numerous media outlets and reporters bombarded Liu Jing and Bai Bing with calls, wanting to interview them.

The boss and his assistant were together. The assistant was still considering which media outlet to choose, as this would be very beneficial for the upcoming release of "Painted Skin" and the promotion of "The Message".

Liu Jing received a call from the opening ceremony's directing team; the "Touching China" program team wanted to conduct a separate interview with him.

Liu Jing refused, and also refused all interviews.

"Touching China" is just a way to embarrass him throughout China and get all netizens to criticize him.

Liu Jing rested for two days. His assistant didn't go anywhere; he stayed home with his boss and, incidentally, consulted dictionaries and the almanac to come up with a name for the company.

Two days later, a new round of busy work began as casting for "The Message" officially commenced.

The last day of August was also the first day of casting for "The Message". It was a weekend, but there were still quite a few actors auditioning, and the auditions didn't stop despite it being a weekend.

The production team announced the character information on the official website a month ago and also sent casting emails to various companies.

The casting team contacted each of the actors Liu Jing liked by phone to confirm audition dates.

This wasn't Liu Jing's first day back at work; he always arrives very early, but today many people arrived even earlier than him.

The audition started at 9:30, and Zhou Xun had already arrived at the company at 7:00, earlier than many of the staff.

Zhou Xun wasn't the earliest; many artists had already arrived even before the Chunqiu Building opened.

On the very first day, hundreds of actors came to audition, and that was after the initial screening.

Privileges exist everywhere, and the casting for "The Message" was no exception. Ordinary artists lined up for auditions at fixed times, while big stars could schedule auditions anytime, anywhere.

Zhou Xun did not exercise any special privileges; he waited in line just like any other artist.

Of course, the casting team wouldn't do the same thing as her, and they put this leading actress first.

Liu Jing arrived around eight o'clock, and Zhou Xun was already waiting in the private lounge.

When the casting team told him the news, Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then invited Zhou Xun to his office.

Her first words to Liu Jing weren't a greeting, but a direct statement of her purpose: "Liu Jing, I want Gu Xiaomeng. I'll agree to any conditions."

"Any conditions?" Liu Jing smiled knowingly, glancing at him a few times.

Summer clothes are already thin, and at that glance, several people came to mind for Liu Jing.

Fan Xiaopang's assistant Zhao Xiaodao, Yang Mi's roommate Zhang Xiaofei, he thinks these three can be brothers.

Zhou Xun instinctively crossed her arms, and under Liu Jing's gaze, she felt as if she were not wearing any clothes.

She, a seasoned actress who had seen countless people, actually felt intense pressure.

"No need to cover it up, you can't see anything anyway." Liu Jing pouted, looking at you, my heart is as still as water.

Zhou Xun looked astonished, clenched his fist, and said, "You really know how to talk."

"Sleeping with someone like you isn't a big deal. Your office is quite spacious, the environment is nice, and the sofa is comfortable. This place is fine, there's still time."

Big Flower is Big Flower, which left Liu Jing speechless.

He remained silent for only a few seconds before quickly calling for a stop, and Young Master Zhou began to unbutton his clothes.

“I’m not interested in you, nor do I have any ambitions. Didn’t you say before that you wouldn’t film any more dramas produced by Spring and Autumn Productions?” Liu Jing stood up, poured a glass of hot water, and handed it to Zhou Xun.

"Thank you." Young Master Zhou's voice was a little hoarse and a little stubborn. "I said I wouldn't film Zhang Jizhong's movies. At the time, he was working with your Chunqiu. As the word spread, it became that I wouldn't film Chunqiu's movies."

"Because of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?" Liu Jing asked.

“Yes! He invited me to play Xiaolongnu, but I didn’t really want to play the role. Huang Rong had already been criticized enough. Because of ‘Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,’ I vaguely knew about Liu Yifei. I kept asking him if the role had already been decided. If it had, I wouldn’t play it. I owed him a favor, so it was okay for him to use me for publicity; I would cooperate. He said there was no decision, and I was the first choice. He told me a lot and made many promises, even saying he would invite Xie Tingfeng to play Yang Guo. During that time, I prepared for the role seriously and turned down other offers. In the end, he was just making fun of me. I couldn’t stand it, so I said I would never work with Zhang Jizhong again.” Zhou Xun explained, revealing that past incident.

"I see. So why did you choose to play Gu Xiaomeng? And why were you so persistent?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

“I read the character biographies you posted and also read the original novel of ‘The Message.’ I was immediately drawn to her when I first saw her. I think Gu Xiaomeng needs to have the naivety of a rich heiress, the ruthlessness of a spy, and the determination of someone facing death. This role is very challenging, so I really want to give it a try,” Zhou Xun responded.

"Do you have any other preparations?" Liu Jing asked, even more curious.

"Could I have a cigarette? And could you give me the time it takes to smoke one?" Zhou Xun made a request.

Liu Jing opened a drawer containing more than a dozen types of cigarettes. "What kind of cigarettes do you want to smoke?"

"Do you have any cigars?" Zhou Xun walked over and chuckled a few times. "You're quite the smoker."

"I smoke one carton of cigarettes a year." Liu Jing opened another drawer, which contained all sorts of cigars.

"Oh, not even enough for one pack a month, that's a good habit."

"Smoking is harmful to health."

“Partagas, Davidoff, Trinidad…” Zhou Xun casually picked up a cigarette. “So many kinds, he doesn’t seem like a non-smoker.”

"These are all for the guests; I'll just use secondhand ones."

Zhou Xun smiled, lit a cigar, and realized that this young master didn't seem as annoying as the rumors suggested.

Secondhand smoke filled the office. Liu Jing opened the window, lit a Yellow Crane Tower cigarette, and began to create secondhand smoke as well.

One, two, Liu Jing's three cigars were about to burn out when Zhou Xun suddenly stopped, threw the unfinished cigars on the ground, and stomped on them hard twice.

She closed her eyes, standing like a statue, for a full five or six minutes before finally speaking.

"I leave this record while I am in purgatory, hoping that my family and Sister Yu will forgive my decision at this moment. But I firmly believe that you will eventually understand my feelings. My dears, I am so ruthless to you only because the nation is on the verge of extinction, and we can only risk our lives to save it. My body is about to perish, but my soul will be with you. The enemy will never understand that Old Ghost and Old Gun are not individuals, but a spirit, a belief."

The sound echoed in the office, one phrase after another, each note distinct and rhythmic.

From the breathy voice of "being in purgatory" to the choked sob of "Sister Yu, please forgive me," then every word was clear, and at the critical moment of the nation's survival, the vocal cords trembled as if on a taut metal string.

"Old Ghost is not a person," the voice rose, creating an almost ethereal quality.

"A belief," the voice suddenly fell, leaving behind a faint sigh.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but a slight smile played on her lips.

One minute, two minutes...

"Hiss..." Liu Jing quietly tossed away the cigarette butt, his fingers already feeling the burning sensation.

"Give me a cold drink." Zhou Xun didn't wipe away his tears, letting them flow freely.

"Your voice isn't pleasant; it really sounds like a quack's. But it's quite fitting here. Your delivery of lines is good; if you could adjust your breathing rhythm, the effect would be even better." Liu Jing opened the refrigerator and took out a can of cola.

Zhou Xun took a deep breath, completely breaking character. "I just have a bad voice, but your voice and your way of speaking are both unpleasant."

She took two sips of her cola and looked at Liu Jing defiantly, "If I were to play Gu Xiaomeng, after several months of filming, I could do a better job."

"When you attend the audition, the casting team will make a comprehensive evaluation." Liu Jing certainly wouldn't make that promise on the spot.

"I believe I can do it. I can sign a performance-based agreement with the production team." Zhou Xun hesitated for a moment. This guy wouldn't act until he saw a tangible benefit.

"You've been signed with Huayi for two years now, haven't you?" Liu Jing smiled and didn't mention the role again.

“In early 2006, I left Rongxinda and signed a four-year contract with Huayi. At that time, Huayi had just gone through the Hua Jie departure incident and was in a slump, desperately seeking talent. I didn't want to continue filming TV dramas and wanted to try my luck in the film industry. They offered me terms that were hard to refuse, and we hit it off immediately. Mr. Wang personally became my agent,” Zhou Xun explained, his voice hoarse. “Do you want me to switch jobs? I signed with Huayi as a studio. If you offer Gu Xiaomeng as a condition, I can agree, but only after my contract with them expires.”

"Young Master Wang treats you well." Liu Jing did not reply.

"Back then, the company had no one, so naturally they treated me well." Zhou Xun said nonchalantly, "Besides, people strive for higher positions, and water flows downhill; isn't that just human nature?"

With all the top actresses now independent, like Lao Xu, Zhang Ziyi, Fan Xiaopang, and Zhao Yanzi, how could she not be tempted?

Even without Liu Jing, she wouldn't renew her contract when it expires. But she lacks the confidence to start her own business, so she wants to learn from Fan Xiaopang's model.

Without Bai Bing's synergy skill, Liu Jing wouldn't have bothered poaching talent. For him, film and television production is the most important thing; artist management is irrelevant.

Just like his filming of "The Message," with the reputation of his previous two films, many people came to audition, and many even offered to work for free.

His indifference doesn't mean the company is indifferent; the revenue from artist management is still quite substantial.

Many entertainment companies rely on artist management to support their operations, which is also their main source of income.

Take Spring Autumn Pictures as an example; its primary revenue source is content distribution, including box office revenue, film and television copyright revenue sharing, and DVD sales.

The second largest contributor to revenue is cinemas, followed by artist management, then advertising, and finally, technology service provision...

Another, more important source of revenue is the profit attributable to the parent company from each of the subsidiaries, including Golden Harvest.

However, the funds raised by Golden Harvest were mainly used for market expansion, cinema construction, and film investment, and no revenue was distributed last year.

Many senior executives at Spring and Autumn Entertainment disagreed with the separation of artist management, but Liu Jing insisted on it. The two big bosses remained silent and ultimately had no choice but to comply.

"I heard that Huayi's equity incentive plan didn't include any shares for you to subscribe to," Liu Jingting said curiously.

Zhou Xun smiled and said, "I'm not interested in these kinds of investments, financial management, stocks, funds, and the like."

"Really?" Liu Jing asked meaningfully, as if to say, "Are you not interested, or did they simply not even consider you?"

"Yes." Zhou Xun's expression wasn't good. This kid was even more annoying than the rumors said. He always hit people in the face and only exposed their shortcomings, just like Chen Kun had described.

ding dong...

A new text message arrived. Liu Jing opened it and was both amused and exasperated. This guy hadn't completely given up.

The text message was from Xixi, and it read, "Darling, the 'wind' in 'wind's sound, could it possibly be the 'wind' in 'peaceful wind'?"

Liu Jing quickly replied, "Aren't you called Liu Yifei?"

The other end replied instantly, "I'll call you 'sister'."

Liu Jing chuckled; he already knew what expression was on the other end's face.

After putting down his phone, Liu Jing chatted awkwardly with Zhou Xun for a while longer before leaving the office when a staff member informed him that casting was about to begin.

Zhou Xun felt as if she had been liberated. She felt that Liu Jing had extracted a lot of information from her in just a short while.

For some reason, under the gaze of the other person's star-like eyes, she had no intention of lying.

The casting team members are not celebrities or teachers from academies, but a professional team.

The casting director is responsible for liaising with the director and producer, understanding the core of the character, selecting a casting strategy, discovering new talent, inviting established stars, and ultimately finalizing the cast.

The casting assistant director is responsible for initial screening of actor profiles, organizing open auditions and screenings, coordinating actors' schedules, and negotiating salaries with agents.

The team also includes a casting coordinator, casting assistant, casting consultant, Mai Jia (the author of the original novel "The Message"), and other members.

Liu Jing is not the casting director, but he has the right to reject any casting applications. In addition to the scoring by the casting team, he also has two separate points for directing.

For example, Zhou Xun gets 8 points, Gao Yuanyuan gets 7 points, and Liu Jing can add extra points for the auditioning actors based on his own judgment, up to a maximum of two points.

Liu Jing does not participate in the scoring and evaluation; these two points are extra.

The auditions started at 9:30 in the morning and lasted until 7:00 in the evening.

Liu Jing didn't participate in the whole process; he only kept an eye on the artists he was interested in when they arrived.

Besides Zhou Xun, several other well-known actors also came today. After all, the title of Cannes Grand Prix Director is quite attractive.

Liu Jing returned to her office, where her assistant was cleaning. She always did the cleaning and tidying of her boss's office herself, never delegating it to anyone else.

"Boss, what do you think of these names?" The assistant dropped the broom and quickly picked up a piece of paper.

"They won't even let us have a sip of water?" Liu Jing sighed.

The assistant has been incredibly enthusiastic these past few days. Every day she brings up questions—something about names, some about the scope of work, some about auspicious days—basically everything related to the new company.

"You won't die of thirst if you don't drink for a while." The assistant pulled the boss down to sit, handed him the documents, and stared at them expectantly.

She said that, but while the boss was looking at it carefully, she still poured a cup of tea and brought it over.

Liu Jing was indeed looking at it carefully. Dozens of names were listed on it, all of which were selected by the assistant from the best, and had been calculated by someone.

Swallow feathers, swallows in the clouds, swallows roosting, swallow tracks, swallow wings, swallows soaring, swallows carrying, swallow pictures, swallow chatter, the era of light swallows, nine swallows across the universe, spring swallows building light...

Great! The assistant has taken a liking to the character "燕" (Yan), so she should be included in the new company's hierarchy.

"So urgent?" Liu Jingrun cleared his throat; he was a little overwhelmed by the choices.

In his opinion, choosing a name was completely unnecessary and complicated.

But the assistant was intrigued, and he didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm.

"Tomorrow, Monday, September 1st, is the day for name verification. I plan to use the fast track and try to register the business on the Monday after next, September 8th. That day is the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, an auspicious day for company registration. I've already thought about the company's business scope. There are six main frameworks: actor discovery, customized planning, publicity and public relations, drama promotion, celebrity endorsement, and business development. The new company will be artist-centric and market-oriented, planning actors' directions according to the market to maximize their economic and social value, and tailoring a career path for each actor." The assistant rattled off the new company's plan in a clear and organized manner. "Boss, I have an idea. Some of Huayang's products are very popular, some are simply unavailable on the market. How about implementing a points system in the new company, rewarding artists with points based on their contributions? Points can be redeemed for products, film and television resources, physical rewards, and so on..."

Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat; this idea seemed good, but he needed to study it carefully.

[Note: This is an A4 sheet of paper, produced on July 9, 2007, in Jiaozuo, Henan Province, brand...]

While listening to the assistant's explanation, he secretly used the authentication tool on the paper, sighing silently, "I miss the dog system so much."

The new appraisal satisfied his desire to appraise treasures, and he felt he could participate in an appraisal show.

Someone brought up a dragon robe, claiming it was Emperor Qianlong's robe and a family heirloom. Many experts examined it closely and finally confirmed it was genuine.

He glanced at it lazily and immediately exposed it: This isn't from Qianlong, it's from Yiwu...

This kind of cool pose is just too awesome.

Besides this use, Liu Jing felt it could also be used to crack down on counterfeits, catching them off guard every time.

“Yanji, Yanhui, and Qingyan Era, I’ll choose these three.” Liu Jing circled the three names and handed them over.

The assistant didn't answer. "You can only choose one. 'Swallow's Trail' symbolizes the artist's shining trajectory, while 'Swallow's Wandering' implies the artist's ever-rising stardom, a continuous cycle..."

"Then let's go with Yan Huai." Liu Jing drew another circle, and the assistant happily gave up.

After finishing discussing the new company, the assistant started talking about other work, "Boss, yesterday was the Golden Eagle Awards, and Shu Chang won the second Golden Eagle Goddess award. Her look was quite beautiful, but I don't think it looked like a Golden Eagle, more like a Golden Swallow."

"Why are you bringing her up? Is it because things didn't go smoothly when you tried to cast her in 'The Myth'?"

Liu Jing glanced at his assistant, and with a slight movement of his body, the assistant knew what position he wanted.

If Shu Chang were so easy to talk to, she wouldn't be Shu Chang.

"Hmm! The production team contacted her today, wanting to invite her to play Lü Su. Shu Chang said that Lü Su has too few scenes, and such a role is not challenging, so she is not interested." Bai Bing was a little depressed, not because she felt that Shu Chang had become arrogant after winning the Golden Eagle Goddess award, but because she knew a little about Shu Chang's personality.

“I told you that day, don’t treat Shu Chang like Yang Mi. Yang Mi will take any role, as long as the money is right, she won’t mind even if it’s just one line. Shu Chang is different, she usually won’t take roles that aren’t demanding or challenging.” Liu Jing said, as if he had no idea.

"Sigh! I've been thinking about this for a long time, and suddenly I understand something. The two of them can compete for the Golden Eagle Goddess title, but the actual situation is different. Shu Chang is going downhill, while Yang Mi is going uphill. They just happened to meet halfway up the mountain. It's really hard to say what will happen next. Shu Chang's transformation may very well allow her to surge ahead again, leaving Yang Mi far behind." Bai Bing sighed, recalling that a few years ago when Shu Chang became a sensation, Yang Mi was still shooting for magazines.

"Fine, if you refuse, you can go find Yang Mi..."

"She agreed." Bai Bing's expression was strange, partly because of Shu Chang's personality, and partly because of the boss's favoritism.

"You agreed?" Liu Jing asked in surprise.

"Yeah! She heard I was playing the female lead, and then she agreed. She said it was a favor to me, and it wouldn't hurt to play a supporting role." Bai Bing was both amused and exasperated; she wanted to be happy, but couldn't feel any joy at all.

"You must have a lot of influence," Liu Jing muttered.

"Sigh! Yang Mi didn't win an award, aren't you going to comfort her?" Bai Bing sighed.

"She should have finished cooking by now, do you want to come along?"

"No, she probably doesn't need my comfort."

"Goodbye then." Liu Jing left without hesitation. The assistant gritted his teeth and punched and kicked in the direction his boss had disappeared.

Then, the door that had just been closed was pushed open again.

"I...I'm exercising, um, working out." Bai Bing gave an awkward laugh. The boss and Yang Mi were standing at the door, looking at her strangely.

"The eighth set of broadcast gymnastics, I guess." Yang Mi smiled. She knew these movements because she often did them herself.

"Honey, what would you like to drink?" Bai Bing quickly changed the subject, secretly groaning that her petty friend had definitely kept a record of the bill.

"Just some water, no need to go to so much trouble. I'll just sit for a bit and then leave." Yang Mi didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the sofa without any regard for her posture.

There was a piece of paper on the table. She picked it up and looked at it, then sighed softly, “Yan Huai, what a nice name. The flowers fall helplessly, but the swallows return as if we’ve met before. I wander alone on the fragrant path of the small garden.”

"You two chat, I'll go check next door." The assistant was perceptive enough not to disturb the two brothers' intimate conversation; they might even be sworn brothers later. Nothing relieves pent-up resentment better than a thoroughly enjoyable battle.

"Feeling quite disappointed?" Liu Jing asked.

"After seeing that Yanhui Culture Agency, I'm not disappointed anymore. Shu Chang used to be someone I could only look up to, but now we're competing for the Golden Eagle Goddess title, so what's there to be disappointed about? If I didn't win, I didn't win. The trophy doesn't even have Yang's name engraved on it, so it was never meant to be mine. Just because I'm not as good as her this year doesn't mean I'll always be worse than her. Life is long, why be disappointed over one night?" Yang Mi wasn't sitting still either, draping her legs over Liu Jing and fidgeting.

"So optimistic?" Liu Jing asked suspiciously.

“Of course not. I just got back to Yandu today, and my aunt called me. She was too busy recently and went to the US. She didn’t pay attention to these things, and only found out today that Shu Chang and I were competing for the Golden Eagle Goddess title. She scolded Shu Chang and Qianqian, saying that the two of them were being unreasonable.” Yang Mi sighed.

She desperately wanted the other person to yell at her too, because that would show they didn't consider her an outsider.

"And then?" Liu Jing asked without hesitation. Yang Mi didn't need comfort; she needed someone to confide in.

"My aunt doesn't recommend that I sign with other companies, and she understands why I don't want to sign with Spring Airlines. She suggested that I keep my agency contract with Golden Harvest for a few years as a temporary measure, and after I graduate and establish myself, I can consider going independent like Fan Xiaopang."

"Your thoughts?"

"I was still hesitating, but after seeing that piece of paper, I'm no longer conflicted. My reluctance to sign with Chunqiu because of Qianqian was too narrow-minded and judging others by my own standards. She wants to suppress me; it doesn't matter where I sign."

"Just do whatever you want..."

"Why are you so good to me?" Yang Mi interrupted.

"Because...you are my brother."

"Brothers?"

"You're my only brother."

"You're shameless, and I'm shameless too."

(End of this chapter)