Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 411 Operation "Raising the Wind"

Liu Jing suddenly didn't want to ask anymore; a multiple-choice question formed in his mind.

Who ordered Bai Bing to sideline Zhang Tianai?
A. Min Zong

B. Wen Zong

C, Ms. Li

D. Sissi

The probability of Zhang Tianai being related to Zhao Min is about 40%. With the immense popularity of Zhang Tianai's portrayal of Zhao Min, rumors about their familial relationship have been rampant. Zhang Min is likely overwhelmed by these rumors and wants to cool things down. Alternatively, Zhang Tianai may have used her status as Zhao Min's relative to do something that displeased her.

The correct answer to Wen Zong's question is 30%. Zhang Tianai has some emotional intelligence issues; she might offend Wen Zong with something she said.

The accuracy rate for choosing Boss Li is 20%. Boss Li has an endorsement project and is very likely to hire Zhang Tianai as the spokesperson. Zhang Tianai's performance is not good, and Boss Li is unhappy.

Choosing Sisi has a 10% success rate; the two have practically no connection. In Liu Jing's memory, they've only met a few times, let alone spoken.

These are all Liu Jing's guesses. This question could be a single-choice question or a multiple-choice question.

The answer lies among these four people. No matter who gives the order, Liu Jing will find it a headache.

There are only a handful of women who can leave him helpless; there are four options.

Liu Jing didn't want to ask. The assistant originally planned to talk to the boss about this after meeting Chen Jiashang, but now it's happening earlier.

"It's normal for her to think of me like that. Back then, she relied on being President Min's secretary and was worried I'd take her place, so she tried to trip me up quite a bit. Unfortunately, her methods were too naive, and I tripped her up myself a few times. Later, when she wanted to debut, I signed her. At first, I did have thoughts of revenge, but those thoughts faded later. If she can't even tolerate this much, how can I support her?" Bai Bing pouted. This vixen's complaint was timely; I had just pulled one of her projects, and she went to the boss to complain. No wonder the boss's wife made an exception and targeted her; there was a reason for it.

A few days ago, Xixi specifically mentioned Zhang Tianai to her, which surprised Bai Bing. Something was not right. There were quite a few women who had affairs with the boss, including Bai Bing herself.

Tang Yan is definitely the boss's woman, and Tong Liya probably has something going on with the boss too. The boss's wife considers one her best friend, while the other is ignored.

What outrageous thing did Zhang Tianai do to provoke the boss's wife to personally intervene?

With the airing of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," Zhang Tianai became a sensation. Similar to Gao Yuanyuan back then, she rose to fame overnight.

Adding to the rumors about Zhang Min's relatives, there have been countless offers to cast Zhang Tianai in films recently.

This is an artist personally mentored by Bai Bing. She was even more excited than Zhang Tianai, personally overseeing the script and coordinating various resources.

Little did she know that after discussing just two projects, Qianqian suddenly contacted her and said, "Sister Dongdong, I think Zhang Jiao's acting skills need improvement. Don't schedule her for any projects recently. I have a spot in the Beijing Film Academy's advanced training program. Let her study hard, calm down, and continue her studies."

When eating vegetables, pay attention to the heart; when listening to words, pay attention to the meaning.

To capitalize on the moment of sudden fame, one must quickly film more movies and maintain a strong presence; there's no reason for them to calm down and reflect.

Bai Bing instantly understood. Zhang Tianai had done something wrong, and the boss was going to teach her a lesson. However, the matter shouldn't be too serious; otherwise, instead of being sent to the Beijing Film Academy for further studies, she would be sidelined and never hired again. While she was still young, she would be permanently blacklisted and buried alive.

Bai Bing wouldn't ignore the boss's orders; in fact, she would take them very seriously.

She is different from Gao Yuanyuan, who, besides her boss, also has her heart set on President Min.

She was the boss's woman, and her heart belonged only to the boss, even though Zhang Min had recruited her.

In Bai Bing's view, Xixi's position as the official wife is very secure. Zhang Min may not be able to shake her position in the boss's heart, but Xixi definitely can.

"Has she...has she done something improper lately?" Liu Jing's mind was a complete mess. Although the assistant spoke directly, he could tell it was Qianqian.

Sisi is always kind to others, so it must be Zhang Tianai who was in the wrong and provoked her first.

Bai Bing shook her head. "What are the rules? What rules are there? Shouldn't I be asking you?"

"I helped her get two roles, one of which is 'The Palace's Low-Ranking Master,' produced by Zhou Yi. The contract has already been signed. She's one of the female leads, has quite a lot of screen time, and the script is good too."

Zhao Min, the female lead in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," would definitely be a leading lady in any other role. Bai Bing put in a lot of effort to win this role.

"Zhou Yi still has the mind to make movies?" Liu Jing asked in surprise.

"They're just facing a cash flow problem, they haven't gone bankrupt yet. Not filming is like waiting to die, filming gives them a chance to live." Bai Bing rolled her eyes. Boss, oh boss, your focus is really different. Zhang Tianai breaking the contract is the main point.

The financial crisis is only one aspect of Zhouyi's financial problems.

They prioritize film and television production, paying little attention to copyright management, promotion and distribution, or derivative development; they simply focus on making films. This "production-oriented" model can be beneficial for film and television production, but it is also prone to getting out of control.

Project budget overruns and extended payment cycles will eventually impact company operations.

Zhouyi's revenue stream is singular, relying 90% on traditional television drama purchases. Not only do satellite TV stations pressure for lower prices, but they also frequently delay, underpay, or refuse payment, further increasing the company's operational risks.

In 2003, Zhou Yi and Zi Yu went to court over a distribution dispute involving more than six million yuan, resulting in the freezing of some bank accounts. This was a severe blow to small and medium-sized film and television companies, and the chain reaction was even more serious.

Many partners were worried about financial risks and asked Zhouyi to pay the production costs in advance, which made the funds even tighter.

To this day, Zhouyi has been sued for over 20 million yuan due to the lawsuit.

Last year's financial crisis led to a decrease in television advertising revenue, resulting in lower prices for purchasing dramas. Banks tightened lending to the film and television industry, causing the production of "Seven Weapons" to be repeatedly halted.

With various reasons piling up, Zhou Yi's days were not easy.

Single film and television production companies are very vulnerable to pressure, and many are facing this problem.

When Sugar Man was filming "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", he had already encountered a crisis once, but he managed to avoid it this time.

"The penalty for breach of contract should be paid, sigh..." Liu Jing sighed. No matter the reason, since Qianqian wanted to be sidelined, Zhang Tianai must have made a mistake. He didn't intend to interfere; let the matter rest.

"No need to pay a penalty for breach of contract, I've already coordinated with the production team. Zhao Liying from Tangde was also competing for Chen Xin'er's role. I told Yang Tianzhen that the role goes to her, and she's also responsible for resolving any issues." Bai Bing had already taken care of the aftermath.

"Zhao Liying..." Liu Jing murmured. He suddenly had an idea. Her small body contained enormous energy.

"Boss, that slutty old woman is shameless, she clearly wants you to sleep with her." Bai Bing opened the car window, and a breeze blew in her face, which felt very comfortable.

"Oh, you're planning to arrange something again? With an assistant like you, I could be a groom every night." Liu Jing snapped out of his daze, and Zhang Tianai's question was thus put on hold by the two of them.

No one knew Sisi's distress; she had nowhere to confide in.

Zhang Tianai was her spy planted in Chunqiu, diligently passing on messages for several years, although these messages were mostly useless.

She didn't treat Zhang Tianai unfairly either; during the casting for "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," she secretly gave her a push. After filming wrapped, she even asked Tang Yan to mentor Zhang Tianai and arranged some other opportunities for her.

Little did she know that on the day the entire series of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" ended, Zhang Tianai sent a text message, clearly indicating that she wanted to seduce her man.

Sisi was furious. "I couldn't do anything about Tang Yan, Shu Chang, and Yang Mi; Liu Jing approached them. But you, you little brat, were people I arranged, and yet you did this!"

Liu Jing didn't know why, because Qianqian had deleted that text message.

However, Sisi didn't condemn Zhang Tianai outright. She let Zhang Tianai calm down and even offered her a chance for further studies. This was a carefully laid opportunity; even if it didn't yield immediate results, it certainly showed effort. Let's see how it goes.

“That’s simple, but I don’t want to arrange anything for her. Stay away from her, she’s too dirty.” Bai Bing said with a disdainful expression.

"You didn't talk to her properly?" Liu Jing was surprised that his assistant dared to order him around.

These past few days, Xu Qing has been chatting with him, and the implication is that she wants to sign with a company so that things will be easier for her.

Liu Jing had no interest in cheating; this woman was already in too much trouble, and he didn't want to get involved. However, he wouldn't object if a contract could be signed.

The assistant had no way of saying no to A-list celebrities, and seeing the two chatting so enthusiastically, he thought things were about to work out.

Bai Bing snorted lightly, "I don't want to talk about it, and I'm not planning to. I just don't like her, there's no reason, and I wouldn't know even if I asked."

Liu Jing seemed to be deep in thought. His assistant didn't know, but he probably did.

People do have magnetic fields. Some people feel friendly as soon as they meet, while others dislike each other, such as Yang Mi and Shu Chang, or Yang Mi and Xiao Dao.

Bai Bing and Xu Qing seem affectionate towards everyone else, but not at all towards each other. "She has princess syndrome and a princess's life. I'm just a lowly assistant; I can't afford to serve her," Bai Bing added.

"Don't publicly fall out with her. Just ignore her." Liu Jing didn't care. If she didn't want to sign, she didn't want to sign. If she didn't like him, she didn't want to look at him. He would definitely go along with his own people.

"Honey, I'm not the little girl I was a few years ago." Bai Bing smiled slightly. Apart from her parents, only her boss would occasionally treat her like a child.

They worry about this and that about me, always worried that I'll suffer a loss or that something might happen to me.

Forget about marriage, those people are just too narrow-minded. My boss and I are in a situation no different from a married couple.

"How's it going with Changhong Film & Television?"

"Hehe, Huace is preparing 'Meteor, Butterfly, Sword,' and both we and Changhong have invested. Our investment is relatively small, but Huace doesn't care. They did some face-saving work and managed to retain us a little. 'The Treasure Hunter' has invested so much money, I'm waiting for its release. In mainland China, there's Spring Autumn Cinemas, and abroad, there's Golden Harvest Cinemas. Let's see what 'The Treasure Hunter' does. It's tough now, but I'll make it as soft later. 'The Treasure Hunter' thinks it's safe because it has China Film Group's investment. Changhong is overthinking it. Let's see if Lao Han will pay any attention to him then. Don't even think about getting any screenings unless he sends Lin Chi-ling over for me to play with."

Bai Bing became more and more excited as she spoke, and although she was fine at first, she suddenly went off-topic later on.

She has the confidence to do so; the economic crisis is both a danger and an opportunity. Recently, Spring Autumn Cinemas and Golden Harvest Cinemas have been expanding rapidly, one penetrating second- and third-tier cities domestically, and the other establishing a presence in Southeast Asia and Europe.

Some small cinema chains, as well as some valuable cinemas, were acquired by Spring and Autumn and then renovated.

At the end of 2008, ranked by scale, China Film Stellar Media ranked first with 140 cinemas and 400 screens.

Next came Spring and Autumn, on 360 screens.

Third is Wanda, with over 300 screens.

Then there's Shanghai United, China Film South New Line, Yandu New Film Union Circuit, Guangdong Jinyi Pearl River Circuit, Century Global Circuit...

In 2009, Spring Autumn Cinemas will inevitably surpass China Film Stellar Media in scale, but whether it can surpass Wanda is hard to say.

Wanda's expansion speed in the cinema chain, relying on commercial real estate, is even more exaggerated than that of Spring and Autumn.

Surpassing China Film Stellar Cinemas does not mean surpassing China Film Group. Stellar Cinemas is just one of the cinema chains under China Film Group.

Other cinema chains under China Film Group include China Film South New Line, Yandu New Film Union, Liaoning Northern Cinema Circuit, Sichuan Pacific Cinema Circuit, and Jiangsu Oriental Cinema Circuit. In third- and fourth-tier cities and remote areas, you might not find Spring Airlines or Wanda Cinemas, but you'll definitely find cinemas owned by China Film Group.

Liu Jing looked wary. "Xiao Bai, what are you trying to do?"

"It doesn't have that function; it's just for my boss's benefit. Didn't Andy Lau say that Lin Chi-ling is over 1.7 meters tall and Alyssa Chia is under 1.7 meters? If the boss has a wish, I definitely have to fulfill it. I'll have them lined up in a row so the boss can compare them properly." Bai Bing sneered. Goddesses or not, that's all in the past.

"Be serious for once," Liu Jing said, too lazy to lecture him.

“Ciling, tsk tsk, what a great name, is it the Ling from Lin Chi-ling? No, no, no, this name is bad, it’s an ominous sign.” Bai Bing chuckled.

Which omen? Is it a bad omen?
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Liu Jing swallowed them back.

He sighed silently, "It seems I'm quite influenced by my right-hand men."

"Boss, Andy Lau treated you to dinner last night. Is he thinking of signing you to our company?"

"You're overthinking it." Liu Jing patted his assistant's thigh. Liu Dehua did have something to discuss with him, and it really was related to a contract, but not with the Heavenly King Liu.

A friend of his went bankrupt due to the economic crisis, and one of his singers, who came from the Super Girl competition, is doing quite badly lately.

He wanted to help people connect with Hongxingwu and get them signed.

Liu Jing was hesitating, mainly because the girl's surname was Zhang, and he couldn't send another girl with the surname Zhang to Hongxingwu.

Once, twice, and now a third time. Last time when Angela Chang was introduced, Sisi already complained about it.

"Stop fooling around, we're driving." The assistant grinned. "Boss, 'Lurking' is a huge hit, I want to arrange a professional team for Zeng Li."

"It's up to you."

The assistant managed to drive and report on work simultaneously, stopping in front of a teahouse half an hour later.

Bai Bing chose the location; she's an SVIP here and has a private room available regularly.

Chen Jiashang was waiting inside. Last year, his film "Painted Skin" broke box office records. Several actors became famous overnight, and Chen Jiashang, as the director, naturally benefited as well.

He has recently taken on a lot of work, which has not only opened up the mainland market, but also expanded his influence in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

After parking the car and going upstairs, the assistant greeted him and left with a flourish.

It wasn't to avoid suspicion, but she also had something to do, so she took her laptop and went next door.

You talk about your business, I'll do my work, and we won't bother each other.

Chen Jiashang arranged to meet Liu Jing for two main reasons.

rustling...

Liu Jing quickly flipped through the documents, a dozen pages in just over ten minutes.

When he closed the script, Chen Jiashang hadn't even finished his cup of tea.

“Old Chen, ‘Painted Skin’ tells the story of the scholar Zhu Xiaolian, who experiences a dreamlike erotic experience within the murals of a temple. The story is simple: entering and leaving the illusion, quite imbued with Zen philosophy. The setting is also simple: a temple and the mural illusion, with a touch of magic. Expanding a few hundred words of the original story into a hundred-minute film is no easy task. You inevitably have to fill it with content; too much and you lose the framework of ‘Painted Skin.’ Too little and the plot feels dry.” Liu Jing frowned.

If this weren't a project proposal that Chen Jiashang had brought over, he would have just thrown it aside.

After the release of "Painted Skin", several investors urged them to make a sequel while the iron was hot, but Golden Harvest did not agree.

Chen Jiashang also disagreed, feeling that the story of Painted Skin had already been told, and with so many stories in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," it would be better to start another project.

He spent more than a month reading "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and set his sights on "Painted Wall".

Once the project proposal was completed, he immediately approached Liu Jing. Without Liu Jing revising the script and the performances of the three lead actors, "Painted Skin" wouldn't have achieved such great success.

"I plan to keep only the core concept: the scholar accidentally enters the world within the painting, and then integrate it with the Buddhist core idea that illusion arises from the mind. The mural depicts a vast female kingdom, with magical duels, power struggles, and love and hate..." Chen Jiashang quickly explained.

At this moment, Bai Bing knocked on the door and stood prettily at the entrance. "Ahem, Director Chen, could you please borrow our boss for a moment? I have something to attend to."

"Haha, if you borrow and return, it's easy to borrow again." Chen Jiashang laughed. He needed time to sort out his thoughts. It was clear that Liu Jing wasn't very interested in the "Painted Wall" project.

"I definitely won't embezzle it," Bai Bing said with a smile.

Liu Jing went out and followed his assistant to the next room.

Bai Bing's smile turned into a wry smile, "Boss, the fairy powder and the bees are fighting."

"Let them fight if they want, it's not like we've never fought before." Liu Jing didn't care at all, and attacked me quite a few times.

"Your backyard is about to catch fire," Bai Bing said irritably.

"..." Liu Jing was completely bewildered. Had the fans' behavior escalated to the level of an artist? There was no need for that.

"In the selection of the 'Four Little Actresses,' many people called for the disqualification of Bai Bing and Xixi as candidates. With their fates sealed, there's nothing left for everyone to do, and netizens have categorized them as 'previous generation actresses,'" Bai Bing explained.

"It's nothing. Let them call for it. Qianqian doesn't care, and Bingbing cares even less." Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, Yang Mi initiated the call for it. He knew about it, but he forgot to tell Qianqian.

On second thought, it's nothing, Sisi isn't a petty person.

“Yes! They really don’t care. After all, they’ve achieved even greater honors before, so why would they care about these things?” Bai Bing sighed, then changed the subject, “But your brother’s plan has been leaked.”

"Does this even need a plan? Did Yang Mi write a project proposal, just like Old Chen in the house?" Liu Jing asked, puzzled.

"The plan doesn't matter, let's just call it Operation 'Raise the Wind'," Bai Bing said with a smile. "Sounds nice, right?"

(End of this chapter)