Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 430 Catching Ghosts
After receiving the message, Lao Tian contacted Lu Chuan immediately.

Liu Jing is my student, and you are a senior in the directing department at Beijing Film Academy. Your father and I are friends; we're all on the same side. What happened in the past is in the past; you don't need to hold onto it.

The other party was very rude. I never intended to argue with him; he was the one arguing with me. He made a patriotic film, and so did I. Why should I give way to him? Everyone is aiming for the National Day holiday. If he has the ability to make National Day a non-holiday, I will naturally choose another release date.

"The film 'Nanjing' was completed at the beginning of the year but will only be released at the end of the year. He's very filial to his country," Liu Jing mocked.

"He waited until the Cannes Film Festival, when he didn't win any awards, before thinking about releasing the film domestically."

Old Tian shook his head, saying he had no intention of competing for anything. Why submit to Cannes when there are so many other film festivals? It's because "Under the City Wall" won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes last year.

If you had chosen a different film festival, you might have won an award.

"He wants to be a sandwich cookie, a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), but he doesn't know if that's enough for one dish."

The film "The Founding of a Republic" is scheduled for release on September 9th, and Lao Han feels that this date is even more meaningful.

How could the founding of the nation be complete without that person?

"The Message" is scheduled for release on September 29th, aiming for the National Day holiday.

Lu Chuan is right. If a tribute drama isn't shown on National Day, who will it be presented to?

If "Nanjing" is scheduled for release on September 19, it's caught in the middle, with both sides facing fierce competition.

Liu Jing had made up his mind. The methods he had originally prepared for "The Treasure Hunter" would be tested on Taro first.

"I talked to the principal about this this morning, and he said that guy is someone who never learns from his mistakes. You're a student and a role model for the students, so of course the school supports you. If he dares to release the film on September 9th, just let him off the hook. The principal also told me to remind you that those guys have been quiet lately, but once 'The Message' is released, there's likely to be some trouble. They hold grudges the most. The fact that 'Nanjing' wants to be released on September 19th might be due to some investors pushing behind the scenes." Old Tian was worried, feeling that something was about to happen.

"Yes! I understand. Please thank the principal for me." Liu Jing remarked with emotion, "The school is a circle, and a very powerful one at that."

The Shu Chang incident back then wouldn't have been resolved so easily if it weren't for the influence of the Central Academy of Drama.

The Japanese are causing trouble, and Liu Jing is on guard. He has Lao Wu as his inside man, and Lao Wu also has Zeng Jia as his inside man.

As for why those people quieted down, Sister Li took drastic measures last year and crippled Avex.

But this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It's like learning from past mistakes; as long as they aren't all killed, they'll come back out.

Liu Jing had no better solution; that group wasn't just a few people or a few companies.

The overall environment is harmonious, not peaceful; it's a matter of whoever causes the most trouble and whoever gets the chance to be dealt with.

"What unique marketing strategy does 'The Message' have? I made a bet with the principal that I believe 'The Message' will break box office records again. I even made a bold statement that only my students can break my students' records." Old Tian's face was beaming, as if he had already broken the record.

"Teacher Tian, ​​President Han has made a film called 'The Founding of a Republic,' with over a hundred stars. He's sharpening his knives, just waiting to break box office records. Whether it's the National Day release or a tribute film, he's the main character. If 'The Message' breaks records, it'll be like putting me in the fire. We're not planning a large-scale promotion for 'The Message' this time; it's better to keep a low profile." Liu Jing smiled wryly. Qianqian cares about face, but Zuo Shandiao cares even more.

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. You may want to keep a low profile, but you might not be able to. If Lu Chuan is misled by those people and rushes forward, 'The Message' will either fail miserably or become even more popular. Be humble in your personal life but ambitious in your work—that's what young people should do. When it's time to fight, you must fight. If you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step. Who cares who he is? When you're competing on the same stage, there's no such thing as giving way. Besides, you're not a rootless duckweed; you're a student at the Beijing Film Academy. Old Han may be formidable, but our principal isn't afraid of him." Old Tian spoke earnestly, truly regarding Liu Jing as his disciple.

"I feel like I have divine help from Mr. Yutian when he said that." Liu Jing smiled. How could he not agree?

He said he wouldn't compete for box office records, but that was just polite talk. After investing so much time and effort, how could he not compete?

You're making a tribute film, and so am I. When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins. If there's no yielding, that's not politeness, that's stupidity.

Old Tian smiled with satisfaction, slapped his thigh, and said excitedly, "What kind of garbage did that guy surnamed Han make? It's all about celebrities. When the movie is released, the audience will only be looking at the stars, not watching the movie. This isn't a movie. One person, one line; it doesn't create any characters at all, and it doesn't explore any historical details. If I were his teacher, I would definitely give him a failing grade and not let him graduate. Don't bother watching this movie; it's unwatchable. And those actors are the same; they all act like they're smelling dog shit."

"I play Chiang Ching-kuo in it, so I should be considered the fifth or sixth male lead." Liu Jing said blankly. When he was criticizing someone behind their back, he always had to consider whether the listener was involved.

"Have some tea, this tea is quite good." Old Tian wasn't embarrassed at all.

"It tastes pretty good, and it was cooled down at 100 degrees Celsius."

"By the way, it seems that Lao Han also had a cameo in 'The Message,' and his role was quite significant."

"Me, Wang Zhiwen, Duan Yihong, Fan Wei, and Chen Kun, the five of us have the most scenes, followed by Lao Han and Wu Gang."

"Hey! Old Han invited you to act in his play, and he's also making a cameo appearance in yours. This guy isn't thinking that he'll benefit from whichever play is better, right? That old fox, he really is..." Old Tian cursed a couple of times, feeling he'd hit the nail on the head.

"That's quite possible." Liu Jing was taken aback; he had never thought of it this way before. Old Han scheduling "The Founding of a Republic" for early September was probably not to give way, but rather to avoid it.

"Tell me about the publicity methods you've prepared, and I might be able to offer some suggestions." Old Tian was itching to speak, as he truly appreciated the reputation of being the student publicity team leader.

"We don't have any fancy methods; we've prepared four promotional approaches. The first is conventional publicity, such as roadshows, TV appearances, and online hype. The second is that the TV series 'The Message' is currently in production, and we plan to air it alongside the movie. The third is that the Chunqiu screenwriting team has designed a ghost-catching game, and we'll be recording an episode of 'Happy Camp' soon, where the game will be showcased. The game is mainly for pre-release promotion..."

Old Tian interrupted, "What game?"

The TV series "The Message" started filming in February, with three crews shooting simultaneously and production taking place at the same time.

With a strong team, efficiency is quite high.

"Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" was released after "The Sacred Flame Order" was released, and "Painted Skin" was released after "Nine-Tailed Fox" was released. This time, Liu Jing wanted to try the effect of releasing them at the same time.

"Teacher Tian, ​​have you heard of 'The Murder Mystery'?" Liu Jing asked, and before he could answer, he said, "You definitely haven't."

Old Tian rubbed his aching back, saying it almost broke. "You haven't told me yet, how come I've never heard of this? Do you really think I'm some kind of ancient relic?"

"This is a deduction game that often appears at parties in Europe and America. Several or a dozen players follow a script to develop the plot. One person plays the murderer without the others knowing, and the other players need to find out who the murderer is through investigation or deduction. I originally wanted to call this game 'Catch the Japanese,' but everyone disagreed, so the idea was scrapped."

Old Tian was a little confused; he hadn't heard of it before, and hadn't quite understood it either. Not wanting to be looked down upon by his students, he nodded knowingly, "You mean this game? And then?"

Liu Jing, oblivious to Lao Tian's ulterior motives, assumed he was asking about the follow-up publicity. "I commissioned Xishanju to make a ghost-catching game. No client download is needed; you can play it directly on the webpage. The game will launch alongside the broadcast of 'Happy Camp.' There will also be offline gameplay; we'll make gift boxes and give them to some viewers. This is all part of the pre-release promotion; then when it's released..."

Liu Jing spoke eloquently, and Lao Tian, ​​who had initially regretted that the conversation had stopped about games, gradually became engrossed in listening.

Young people have flexible thinking and unconventional methods of promotion.

Lao Tian had seen the original film of "The Message". He and some colleagues from the school guessed that the box office would be no problem to break 200 million, but it would be difficult to surpass the record of "Painted Skin".

With these promotional methods, Lao Tian is even more confident that breaking 300 million is definitely not a problem.

"Send me a few sets later, I'll try them out first. I'll organize a party, invite Principal Zhang, Dean Xie, Professor Zheng and the others, and you can teach us how to play then." Old Tian was very curious.

"Role-playing games are easy for you all, you're all seasoned veterans. Each gift box has instructions, you'll get the hang of it after a couple of rounds." Liu Jing didn't want to participate in the old folks' game; Lao Tian wasn't Gao Yuanyuan, and the game he organized was pointless.

The ghost-catching game had just been released, and Gao Yuanyuan found a few people to try it out, setting up a special venue at the Chunqiu Building.

The three male actors are Duan Yihong, Chen Sicheng, and Zhu Yilong; the three female actors are Zeng Li, Zhang Tianai, and Gao Yuanyuan herself; and one of the six players is Lao Gui (Old Ghost), whose job is to catch him.

The game has one NPC host and six characters: three male characters, Wu Zhiguo, Bai Xiaonian, and Jin Shenghuo, and three female characters, Li Ningyu, Gu Xiaomeng, and Liu Feifei.

That's right, Liu Feifei is a nurse, and Xixi's cameo role in "The Message" didn't even have a single line.

Liu Jing is ready; once the game is released, let the fans criticize it all they want.

This wasn't just a simple trial run; they also had to record videos as tutorials, which would then be uploaded to the website as a form of promotion. After recording, Gao Yuanyuan was completely familiar with the ghost-catching game.

Commander Gao had some good stuff and, thinking of his good friends, he rallied them and organized a game. The members were Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Bai Bing, Tang Yan, and Jing Tian.

All six players were members of the Women's Revenge Alliance group.

Yang Mi chose Jin Shenghuo, Liu Shishi chose Gu Xiaomeng, Bai Bing chose Bai Xiaonian, Tang Yan chose Liu Feifei, Jing Tian chose Wu Zhiguo, Gao Yuanyuan chose Li Ningyu, and Liu Jing played the role of an NPC, arranging the identity of Lao Gui, explaining the game rules, and being responsible for advancing the plot.

The location wasn't at the company, but at Bai Bing's villa, where Liu Jing had laid out clues.

The rules were explained twice, and everyone except Liu Shishi knew how to play.

Gao's purpose was not just to play games; she was working for the benefit of men.

Liu Jing, the host, gave himself the code name "Old Gun".

That night was spectacular; Old Gun took on multiple opponents single-handedly, firing one shot and moving to a different location.

Commander Gao was adept at organizing events, starting with a few drinks to build rapport. The saying "drunken revelry" wasn't just a figure of speech; alcohol could amplify emotions and also help one let go of shame.

Seeing that everyone was in the zone, she figured the game could begin. To gauge everyone's enthusiasm and to warm things up, she suggested that Bai Bing first fulfill her duties as host. This was significant, known as "breaking the ice."

Assistant Bai, of course, wouldn't spoil her boss's fun. She performed a close and seductive dance around him, enacting a scene where the secretary seduces the boss.

As she jumped, she jumped lower and lower, and then sang a verse.

Liu Shishi almost left, but was stopped by Yang Mi with a mischievous grin.

Surprisingly, Jing Tian stared intently without blinking.

The opening was a great success, the game officially began, and there were many memorable moments.

During the evidence search, Liu Shishi was judged to have violated the rules by the host and was asked to recite a poem.

When Yang Mi was searched, Commander Gao suspected that she was hiding a secret.

During a private chat between Gao Yuanyuan and Tang Yan, the host suddenly appeared, brandishing a gun and threatening the two to commit a crime.

In order to obtain more evidence, Jing Tian pulled the host into the bedroom.

People suspected that Yang Mi was a swindler, and that she sexually harassed the host in order to prove her innocence.

Actually, Liu Shishi is the real culprit; Liu Jing gave her the identity.

He thought the little lion wouldn't even understand the rules and would be caught quickly, ending the game and not delaying the next round.

Who knew the game would be so fun, and who knew the little lion wouldn't get caught?

In the end, although Yang Mi proved her innocence, three people still voted that she was the "old ghost": Gao Yuanyuan, Liu Shishi, and Tang Yan. Only Xiao Bai voted for Liu Shishi, while Yang Mi voted for Gao Yuanyuan.

Under Gao Yuanyuan's various schemes, these people had long since become a community.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in water, the little lion goes from being scorned to resisting, disdainful, and helpless, eventually becoming one with the world.

There has been much speculation about their relationship, with many people thinking it was just something fishy, ​​but little did they know it was so unusual.

Liu Jing's right and left arms each have their own unique strengths.

Gao Yuanyuan used her own methods to unite everyone into a community of shared interests.

"Liu Jing, Liu Jing, Liu Rijing..."

Liu Jing snapped out of his daze, wiping away imaginary drool, "Principal Zhang really doesn't know how to play games..."

"I said that two minutes ago." Old Tian was speechless; this kid's reaction time was really long.

"The fourth method, Teacher Tian should have heard of it. Some time ago, we held a public call for theme songs and selected three that were quite suitable. During the National Day holiday, CCTV will be holding a gala to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We submitted a song called 'The Message of the Wind,' which will be performed at the gala..."

Liu Jingcai ignored what Lao Tian had just said and continued explaining at his own pace.

"Young people are quick-witted, and I'm even more confident in beating Principal Zhang." Old Tian wasn't bothered by his distraction and looked pleased.

"Teacher Tian, ​​how's that film you made going? I heard it's also scheduled for release during the National Day holiday..."

"That's not true. Post-production isn't finished yet. We're planning to release it during the Spring Festival." Old Tian flatly rejected the idea. What kind of situation would it be if teachers and students competed against each other?

If he wins, that's fine, but he's very likely to lose.

Old Tian felt a little embarrassed just thinking about that scene. If "The Wolf's Tale" doesn't do well at the box office, he should stop directing and just focus on being a teacher.

Having an outstanding student puts a lot of pressure on you.

"I was chatting with President Han the other day, and he mentioned this matter. Teacher Tian attaches great importance to this film and wants to release it during the National Day holiday..." Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lao Tian, ​​"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's talk about the publicity and distribution of 'The Message'."

"..."

Half an hour later, Liu Jing walked out of the office with a relaxed expression, saying, "Why not 'The Message' or 'The Wolf's Tale'?"

Old Tian didn't want to bring it up, but Liu Jing did, and in the end, he was kicked out.

Ugh! I still have to take graduation photos. I haven't even graduated yet, and I'm already a freshman again.

Thinking of this, Liu Jing felt a pang of sadness.

At this moment, he wasn't worried about the graduate students or Taro, but about Sisi.

A gentleman takes revenge even after three years. A petty person takes revenge immediately.

Liu Qianqian is indeed a gentleman; she really did it for a full three years.

At that moment, he truly felt how weighty Sisi's words, "You just wait," had been that day.

Good heavens, I've offended her so many times, how many more pitfalls await me?

When you make a call, the other end doesn't answer very quickly.

"Hey! Wood, we've arrived in Zhengzhou. The weather here is nice. We haven't seen many trees, yet they call it the Green City." Qianqian's voice came from the other end of the line, sounding cheerful and in a good mood.

"Is Guangzhou all sheep farms? Does Shenzhen have roc birds? Is Nanjing built of stone?" Liu Jing was displeased and spoke rudely.

"Harbin is a world of ice and snow, Chongqing is mountainous and foggy, Kunming is spring-like all year round, and the river city really does have a river..."

(End of this chapter)