Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 352 An Unexpected Incident at the Premiere

Bai Bing had lost all interest in looking at the computer. If only Liu Yifei were one of her contracted artists.

The status of an agent within the industry is directly related to the artists they manage.

She currently only has one top-tier player under her management, Gao Yuanyuan, who wasn't even trained by her.

Because of the manor's fundraising efforts and Jing Tian's formal introduction, Bai Bing and Qianqian have already established a relationship.

She became Xixi's second creditor; the first, of course, was Jing Tian.

Recently, artists under Spring & Autumn Entertainment have been transferring their contracts to new companies one after another.

Half a floor of the Chunqiu Building was approved as office space for Yanhui Culture Brokerage.

The female celebrities are led by Gao Yuanyuan, followed by Li Xiaoran, Zeng Li, Yan Danchen, and Chen Zihan, who are the four leading ladies in the first tier. Then there are Tong Liya, Tang Yan, Zhou Yang, Shen Jianni, Zhang Tianai, and Reyizha.

The male celebrities included Duan Yihong, Zhang Yi, Zhu Yawen, Luo Jin, Chen Sicheng, and Zhu Yilong.

Fairness is relative. Since Zeng Li and Duan Yihong are their own artists, even if they weren't number one, Liu Jing used his director's bonus points authority to push them to number one.

As the boss's personal assistant, Bai Bing also understood another layer of meaning.

She rose to a high position at a young age, and even with the company's backing, it's difficult for her to gain widespread respect. Only by achieving tangible results and winning several successful battles will she earn everyone's respect. Otherwise, people will only be respectful to her face but despise and ridicule her behind her back.

How do you achieve tangible results? As an agent, making your artists reach the top tier is a real achievement.

Gao Yuanyuan is a top-tier actress, but this is not due to her own efforts and should not be considered her achievement.

Once two or three of her artists become Best Actor or Best Actress winners, or Best Actor or Best Actress winners in television dramas, and the role is one that she fought for, then her achievements will be evident.

Under her boss's guidance, Bai Bing recommended Zeng Li and Duan Yihong to audition for "The Message." Therefore, Bai Bing deserves credit for their successful casting.

Bai Bing knew very well that her boss was helping her quietly, and she was also quietly giving him some credit. This man went to great lengths to torment her, but his kindness to her was unparalleled; even a real husband couldn't be better off.

However, her focus wasn't on the older actresses, but rather on Tong Liya and Tang Yan. When she took over their management, these two were still relatively unknown. Personally promoting them to the top was far more impressive than sending Zeng Li and Yan Danchen to their Best Actress awards.

"Hey! How was it? Were you scared? My performance was pretty good, right?"

Liu Jing was looking at his computer when someone suddenly nudged him.

"I wasn't scared before, but I am now." Liu Jing didn't need to turn his head to look; it was Qianqian who had come over.

"You're such cowards. Let me see what you two are looking at." Qianqian came over and squatted down next to Bai Bing to look at the computer. "The pre-sale box office is almost four million. That's increasing pretty fast."

Two processes are displayed on the computer desktop: one is a QQ group chat window, which is an internal communication group for ticket sellers. Information is flowing rapidly, and many people are working overtime tonight.

The second is the ticket data backend, which displays real-time registration data and pre-sale box office data through the ticket website.

Sisi was quickly drawn to the QQ group chat because they were discussing topics related to her.

"Xixi, please sit here." Bai Bing stood up, wanting to offer her her seat.

"No need." Sisi pressed down on her shoulder, her gaze shining brightly in the darkness as she looked at Liu Jing.

"I'll give up my seat, okay?" Liu Jing said sullenly, he was also looking at the group chat. But he understood the meaning in her eyes even better, so he moved to the side, where the seat was originally reserved for Qianqian, Fan Xiaopang, and Zhen Zidan. Zhen Zidan had just come off the stage, and Fan Xiaopang was still backstage, with two empty seats next to him.

Sisi smiled and patted her younger brother on the shoulder to show her satisfaction.

She also wanted to get to know Bai Bing better. She hadn't taken Bai Bing seriously before; she thought of Bai Bing as just a junior assistant, or rather, a manager.

She had a high opinion of Zhang Tianai at the time; she was pretty, liked by Zhang Min, and appreciated by her aunt. So she recruited Zhang Tianai as an inside agent, and the latter was indeed diligent and had a very good attitude.

However, her competence is questionable; the information she conveys is either useless or she knows more about the issues herself.

Sisi once suspected that Zhang Tianai was fooling her, but later she gradually realized that she was overthinking it; this was just how capable Zhang Tianai was.

On the contrary, Bai Bing, whom she did not think highly of, gradually impressed her in terms of her interpersonal skills, work style, and work ability.

It's true that Liu Jing played a part in Bai Bing's rise to prominence within the company, but Bai Bing certainly possesses the necessary skills. Someone who's utterly incompetent wouldn't be given a prominent position even if Liu Jing wanted to promote them; President Wen and President Min wouldn't agree.

Sisi was quite annoyed. If she had developed Bai Bing into an inside player earlier, Liu Jing's every move would have been under her watchful eye.

She wasn't spying on Liu Jing, but rather wanted to know which women the bastard had hooked up with this time, so she could be prepared to deal with him.

It's too late to develop Bai Bing now. No matter how much effort I put in, I can't make her abandon the darkness and come to the light.

If you can't develop inside connections, you can develop them into members of a small circle.

Xixi's so-called inner circle already has three members: Shu Chang, Tang Yan, and Jing Tian. Bai Bing is the fourth person she wants to develop.

Gao Yuanyuan, one of Liu Jing's right-hand women, has no ambition for advancement. Da Meiyuan, starting as Zhang Min's secretary, has risen to become the top female executive and now heads a department, deeply bearing Zhang Min's label.

"Sisi, they have some votes who want you to be their brand ambassador. Should I talk to them?" Bai Bing smiled strangely, because the group chat was genuinely fun.

The head of the administration department noticed that after Liu Yifei took office, various data points on the vote surged, and he began to have designs on her.

He suggested in the group that Liu Yifei be invited as the brand ambassador, and everyone agreed, spamming "+1" in the comments.

The marketing department manager offered a reward of 3,000 yuan to any employee who could contact Liu Yifei and negotiate a cooperation agreement.

As a result, "-1" flooded the screen.

One employee said, "If anyone can contact Liu Yifei, I can go and talk to her. I don't want the company's 3,000 yuan bonus; I'll even pay 3,000 yuan out of my own pocket."

As a result, "+1" flooded the screen again.

“You’ll make three thousand yuan too.” Sisi smiled and kept scrolling through the chat history.

Youpiao is a company spearheaded by Tencent, supported by a large number of QQ users. Cinemas and film companies readily agreed, as it is a good thing for the industry.

If Spring and Autumn Period were to take the lead, few companies would be so enthusiastic; everyone has their own agenda.

The joint venture has a registered capital of 200 million yuan, with Tencent holding a 60% stake and absolute control. China Film Group holds 10%, Spring and Autumn Film Group holds 5%, Shanghai Film Group holds 5%, Golden Harvest holds 5%, and Wanda Cinema Line holds 5%, totaling 10% of the shares for these film companies.

As for the extent to which each company's shares will be diluted after subsequent financing, that's a matter for later.

"Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, no matter how small it is," Bai Bing muttered softly.

"The pre-sale box office has exceeded four million, and four hundred thousand of that will go to Mu Tou." Sisi couldn't stop smiling, her eyes sparkling as if she could see countless banknotes flying in.

The money I receive for this piece of work is mine, and no one can take it from me.

Bai Bing pouted. "Don't think I don't know, you've already reserved the boss's salary."

"If the box office is 300 million, the boss can get 30 million. I used to think that taking a share of the box office would be a loss, since his going rate is 20 to 30 million. But now it seems that taking a share of the box office is more worthwhile."

"That's right! According to the ticket predictions, the box office will be between 1.9 million and 3.1 million. This year's box office champion is 'Red Cliff Part I,' right? It has a box office of 3.21 million. It looks like we won't be able to surpass it."

"That's hard to say. The data will be more accurate after the film screenings. There was almost a riot when you came out just now. Based on that alone, the box office won't be bad after the release. As long as the initial word-of-mouth is strong, breaking the record of 'Red Cliff' is no problem at all."

"Sister Dong, now that you mention it, I suddenly feel nervous."

"What are you nervous about? This isn't your first movie, it's a piece of cake for you."

"Strictly speaking, this really is my first movie. 'The Forbidden Kingdom' and 'Rush Hour 3' are foreign films, and I had a cameo role in 'The Sacred Flame'..."

The two girls were whispering to each other, completely ignoring what Sun Li was singing on stage.

The audience members were whispering among themselves, discussing You Piao and Liu Yifei's performance.

Sometime later, Sisi and Liu Jing, who were sitting in the front row, disappeared from their seats.

blah blah blah...

Suddenly, a large hole collapsed on the stage, dry ice sprayed out white mist, and a jade Bagua turntable rose from the hole.

On the Bagua plate rests a book called "The Demon Codex" bound in fox fur. The cover features a fox head relief with cold, gleaming eyes, making it appear even more ferocious and terrifying.

Chen Jiashang took a knife and cut his finger, instantly turning it bright red, which caused gasps from the audience.

The audience thought he had really cut his finger and thought the director was very dedicated, truly willing to take risks. Not only the audience, but even the guests in the front row were shocked. Was a director from Hong Kong really this dedicated?

This isn't actually cutting a finger; the trick is hidden in the knife—there's a blood sac inside. While cutting the finger, press a mechanism to puncture the sac, causing blood to flow.

Generally speaking, directors have some acting skills.

Chen Jiashang hissed softly, grimacing as if he were in real pain. He pressed his finger against the eye of the fox-head relief, smearing it with a little blood, and the Demon Codex automatically turned a page.

There's also a mechanism to turn the pages of the Demon Tome; below is an air pump. When the liquid in the fox's eyes reaches a certain amount, the mechanism is triggered, turning the pages.

Chen Jiashang handed the dagger to Liu Jing and stood aside watching the others perform.

The dagger spun in Liu Jing's hand, then he tossed it into the air and grabbed the handle.

Liu Jinghua was skilled in many techniques; without hesitation, he swiftly thrust his weapon towards the palm. The audience's hearts trembled; it looked like he was about to commit suicide.

Finally, the dagger rested steadily on his finger, and crimson blood appeared.

Liu Jing remained unfazed, smearing the blood on the fox's eyes, and the Demon Codex successfully turned a new page.

His technique was superb; the dagger appeared to have pierced his finger, but it was already powerless against his skin and could not harm him at all.

Sisi took the dagger, secretly pursing her lips. Others might not understand, but how could she not?

She didn't have many fancy moves; she just casually performed a few techniques, then secretly pressed the mechanism. As the blood sac pierced, the dagger also brushed against her finger.

The blood touched the surface, and the Demon Codex turned another page.

No one realized that the three were fake. Chen Jiashang acted well, and Liu Jing was brilliant. As for Qianqian, everyone was only focused on her cool moves and didn't notice anything else.

The guests in the front row muttered to themselves, "The acting is really good, each one more realistic than the last." These guests are either directors or professional actors; there's no need to guess what kind of shady dealings their peers might be up to.

She handed the dagger to Fan Xiaopang, and she was even more decisive, placing the dagger on her finger and then pressing the mechanism.

She had already mentally rehearsed the entire performance several times beforehand.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, and no blood flowed out.

Chen Jiashang's expression changed. Oh no, the mechanism was broken.

Fan Xiaopang realized something was wrong. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and actually cut down.

Chen Jiashang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the dagger mechanism was working again, and the others thought so too.

Fan Xiaopang endured the pain and stepped forward, wiping his fox eyes as he opened the Demon Codex.

She breathed a sigh of relief, handed the new dagger to Sun Li, and gave her a meaningful look.

Sun Li noticed nothing, pressing the mechanism without even realizing the blood sac hadn't been punctured. She pressed her finger against the fox's eye, but the demon tome didn't react at all, only then realizing the problem.

"Ha ha……"

"Shh..."

"Fake……"

The tense atmosphere instantly lightened because of the blunder. Sun Li was bewildered and at a loss. Zhen Zidan stepped forward and took the dagger from her hand.

He tried it, and sure enough, the mechanism was broken. Without hesitation, he cut his palm with the dagger, and blood gushed out.

"Silk……"

"Fuck..."

"That's ruthless..."

The audience's laughter abruptly stopped; it was definitely real. The guests in the front row were also stunned. Could it all have been real?

Swipe...

Zhen Zidan wiped his fox eyes twice, and the Demon Codex was turned to two pages. He then stepped back, his palms pressed together.

Before the audience could even react to Donnie Yen's appearance, a nine-tailed fox sculpture suddenly descended from the top of the stage, eliciting gasps from the crowd.

With a glowing crystal heart in its mouth, the fox suddenly noticed that the face of this nine-tailed fox vaguely resembled that of Liu Yifei.

Just as she was wondering, Sisi took a bronze wine cup and poured the blood-like wine into the groove of her heart. The wine flowed along the lines of her body, just like blood circulating.

The red wine, triggered by temperature control, turned purple upon contact with ice. The crystal heart in the fox's mouth emitted a red glow, flickering as if it were beating.

Liu Jing pulled on the iron chain, locking the Ice Fox to the Demon Codex.

An unexpected event occurred: the ice sculpture, which should have shattered when the chains tightened, showed no signs of breaking as it approached the Demon Tome.

Liu Jing delivered a flying kick that shattered the ice sculpture, leading the audience to believe it was pre-planned.

Phosphorus powder, which had been hidden beforehand, floated out from the ice sculpture fragments, condensing into a "decree" rune that was projected onto the demon tome.

The sealing ceremony of the Demon Codex was completed, and thunderous applause resounded for a long time.

"This is what a premiere should be like." Chen Kaige exhaled a breath of stale air and decided to go back and adjust the premiere plan for "Mei Lanfang".

"They're really going all out." Jackie Chan clapped his hands as he pondered whether "The Myth 2," being a fantasy drama, could draw inspiration from it.

"They tricked me again." Jiang Wen sighed, feeling that the atmosphere at future premieres was about to change.

The audience was buzzing with excitement, saying it was all worth the trip, having witnessed a magical performance.

Backstage, Chen Jiashang smiled wryly, "Are you all alright?"

"A minor injury," the three said in unison, including Liu Jing.

When he kicked the ice sculpture, he was so close that a shard cut his neck.

"You're injured too?" Liu Jing asked Fan Xiaopang in surprise.

"Look," Fan Xiaopang said, placing his finger in front of Liu Jing's eyes.

"I thought you were acting..." Liu Jing muttered, no wonder it looked so real.

Fan Xiaopang pursed his lips, wanting to put his fingers in Liu Jing's mouth.

She saw Liu Jing clutching his neck, his clothes soaked in blood, and suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

"Where are the medical staff? Quickly bandage them up!" Chen Jiashang shouted.

"Luckily it wasn't my face. I have to go back to the film set to shoot in a few days." Liu Jing was glad he was wearing a mask, otherwise he might have actually been splashed.

"You're still thinking about filming at a time like this," Fan Xiaopang complained. "You're a young master, you're already financially independent, why are you still working so hard?"

"Let me do it. He used to get injured a lot while practicing martial arts, and I've treated his wounds many times." Sisi came out carrying the first-aid kit; she had noticed Liu Jing's injury long ago. Backstage, she immediately went to find the first-aid kit.

"Let's deal with Liu Jing first; he looks pretty scary," Chen Jiashang said quickly.

Without needing the director's instructions, Sisi went straight to Liu Jing.

"My wound is small, I'll take care of it myself." Fan Xiaopang squatted down next to the first-aid kit, disinfected the wound, and put on a band-aid.

"You actually went for it?" Sisi exclaimed in surprise.

"There's no way around it, we can't let it affect the show's effect." Fan Xiaopang didn't care, she really didn't care about this little injury.

"It's all my fault..." Sun Li apologized.

"It's alright, there's truth to everything, and today's demon seal will definitely be a hot topic," Zhen Zidan comforted her.

"Director, these mistakes are all material, hurry up and arrange them..." Liu Jing reminded him, but before he could finish speaking, Chen Jiashang disappeared in a flash.

"Hey, this director is really something, he doesn't even care about the injured." Liu Jing said speechlessly.

"Haha, it's not like you just met him yesterday," Zhen Zidan laughed.

"Brother Zhen, your wound is quite big. Let me help you. I've been injured a few times while filming before. I've been injured a lot, so I've gained some experience." Fan Xiaopang said quickly after treating his own wound and seeing Zhen Zidan struggling to clean it.

"Thank you." Zhen Zidan's injury was to his palm, which was inconvenient to treat.

"The dagger mechanism broke, it must be related to me spinning the dagger. This time it's my fault, causing Sister Bingbing and Brother Zhen to cut their hands and bleed so much..." Liu Jing gasped, the taste of alcohol disinfection was really sour, and he suspected that Qianqian had done it on purpose.

Liu Jing's wound wasn't big. Xixi cleaned it, pressed it with an alcohol swab for a while, and then put on a band-aid.

Zhen Zidan's wound was treated quickly. He thanked her again and went back to the dressing room to change his clothes.

Fan Xiaopang handed two bottles of water to the siblings, saying, "Have some water, you two are all sweaty."

"Thank you," Liu Jing said politely.

Fan Xiaopang really wanted to roll her eyes. She didn't see politeness in him, only hypocrisy.

Sun Li looked left and right, feeling like an outsider. Even without speaking, the three of them shared an inexplicable sense of balance.

She wanted to observe the situation quietly, but eventually couldn't stand the silence and left under some pretext.

The three of them exchanged glances, and Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew! That look she gave me was so annoying."

"Who cares?" Fan Xiaopang said dismissively, packing up his first-aid kit. "Everyone's gone, let's not just sit here staring at each other. You haven't had a proper movie in ages, have you? It's on me today."

"Ha, how generous." Sisi chuckled; she had a low threshold for laughter.

"La la la la la la la la la..."

Once the stage was set up, a masked singer rose from the center of the stage.

"Zhang Liangying's voice is really good," Fan Xiaopang praised, then looked at Xixi, "Xixi, help me find someone to write a song. I'm planning to invite Zhang Liangying to write the theme song for 'My Love from the Star'."

"No problem." Sisi agreed readily; someone else was giving her money.

Liu Jing sat back down in his original seat. To his right was his assistant, and to his left, in order, were Xixi, Fan Xiaopang, Sun Li, and Zhen Zidan...

"I can't see through you, that's your lost soul. I can't fathom the color of your pupils. A gust of wind, a dream, love is as unpredictable as life itself..."

Ok?
Liu Jing was surprised; this voice wasn't Zhang Liangying's.

Fan Xiaopang exclaimed in surprise, "This... looks like Angela Chang!"

The audience fell silent instantly. What song is this? It's so beautiful.

"It was arranged by the director, and it's also a publicity point," Sisi explained.

"The director even asked us to act like we don't get along. Do you have any thoughts on that?" Fan Xiaopang asked frankly, without trying to hide it from Sun Li.

"We'll see." Sisi didn't take it seriously. Harmony is something that needs to be shown; if there's discord, why bother showing it?

Fan Xiaopang smiled, having a general idea of ​​what was going on.

She wasn't worried about Liu Jing, but rather about Liu Yifei's fans.

If the size isn't right, the fans might tear her apart.

Liu Yifei's popularity with the general public is unmatched, and her fans are largely unsupervised.

Self-proclaimed fans, die-hard fans, fence-sitters, fans who admire appearance, haters...

There are many of each kind, and they are all very distinctive.

"I try to draw you, but I can't capture your essence. I remember your face; that's my unwavering devotion to you. You are a song I can never finish singing..." Fan Xiaopang hummed softly, gradually drifting into a daze.

Angela Chang's rendition of "Painting Heart" offers a completely different listening experience.

She didn't know about Angela Chang signing with Red Starwood, but she roughly knew what was going on.

Zhang Ziyi produced "Perfect Match" and invited Angela Chang to sing the theme song.

Little did anyone know that Angela Chang had just run into trouble, so Zhang Ziyi introduced her to Liu Jing.

Firstly, it was to resolve Angela Chang's problems, as they were worried it would affect the production of "Sophie's Revenge".

Secondly, it was to do Liu Jing a favor, since he had introduced talent to him.

"You signed Angela Chang?" Liu Jing asked in a low voice.

"While you were busy with the opening ceremony, Jing Tian and I went abroad for a trip, and we took the opportunity to talk to her. She doesn't have a place in Taiwan, and I didn't want her to be overlooked, so I signed her to Hongxingwu," Qianqian explained.

"You're quite kind-hearted," Liu Jing muttered, adding that he was also quite proactive.

“Even without your kindness, you still provided Tang Wei with a place to stay,” Sisi mocked.

"There are some things I can't control about fairness. Since I saw it, I'm just giving her a fair chance," Liu Jing explained.

"You didn't fancy her?" Sisi looked at her quietly, wanting to hear an answer.

"No, she's not my type, and I didn't find her particularly beautiful or sexy. Tang Wei is from the directing department of the Central Academy of Drama, and some scenes in 'The Message' are quite sensitive, so it's better for a woman to direct them. I gave her a chance, and whether she wants to seize it or not is up to her." Liu Jing explained frankly that he didn't give Tang Wei a role, but instead made her an assistant director.

"If your choice of assistant director is announced, I don't know how many people will be shocked. But it does generate buzz, which can save on publicity costs. I heard she broke up with her boyfriend because of that movie. I doubt any man wouldn't mind filming something like that." Sisi sighed, relieved. She didn't sense Liu Jing's ulterior motives.

"I don't care about her private life, nor do I want to. Since she did it, she has to bear some consequences," Liu Jing said calmly.

"Oh, what if Yang Mi were to film a movie like that?" Qianqian chuckled, unable to bear Liu Jing's state of mind. It turns out he doesn't know how to talk when he's sitting down.

"Let's watch a movie." Liu Jing's expression froze; he could no longer remain calm. Why was it Yang Mi again?

Yang Mi, known for her ability to create awkward silences, brought the two into a sudden silence.

"Boss, 'Painted Skin' has 4.8 million in pre-sales, and we'll definitely break 5 million today. We'll start planning tomorrow, and the premiere in Shanghai the day after. We expect pre-sales to break 10 million before the official release," the assistant suddenly reported.

Sisi snorted softly. There was still singing on stage, no movie. This little assistant's report was perfectly timed.

Seeing Liu Jing's displeasure, she felt incredibly pleased and began humming, "I paint you, but I can't capture your essence. I remember your face; that's my unwavering devotion to you. My heart is only willing to be sacrificed for you..."

(End of this chapter)