Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 435 Let's have a serious game

Liu Jing put down his crossed legs, stared at Zhou Xun, and his expression was not good either.

Before Bai Bing's bond skill was generated, Liu Jing did not pay much attention to signing big-name artists.

[Best agent; you can get a small amount of entertainment value from the films and TV series her artists star in.]

With the emergence of this skill, the more famous the artists Bai Bing signs, the more entertainment atmosphere she generates.

With a stake in the matter, Liu Jing couldn't afford to take it lightly.

"The Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) is about to open. Huayi underwent a shareholding reform last year and is now seeking a listing on the GEM. We expect to see results soon. Before the listing, the CEO wouldn't let you leave, worried that it would affect the listing plan and the issue price. After the listing, it will be even harder for you to leave. With the departure of a key figure, the stock price will definitely fluctuate, and Huayi's market value will also be impacted."

Liu Jing was also quite troubled. He wasn't afraid of falling out with Huayi, but Zhou Xun couldn't.

Zhou Xun was too entangled with the company and his boss, so the only way out was a peaceful separation.

Just like Bai Bing, unless he lets go, the assistant wouldn't dare leave; he has too much information that could ruin her.

The same principle applies to Zhou Xun. Her rise to power at Huayi was not as pure as a white lotus flower.

"They're not going to list on the main board anymore?" Bai Bing asked in surprise. Two years ago, Huayi said it wanted to list on the main board and didn't want to seek listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

“It’s not easy to go public on the main board. The main board requires a longer period of operation, and they are eager to list and raise funds to cash out. The emergence of the ChiNext board has given them a faster opportunity to go public,” Liu Jing explained.

"Tsk tsk, the timing of the ChiNext board's emergence is really opportune. Huayi's listing journey has been full of twists and turns, but it's finally coming to a close. Next, one company after another will line up to go public; the film and television industry is about to enter the capital era," Bai Bing remarked.

Back in 2004, Huayi introduced investment from TOM Group and designed a framework for a red-chip listing. TOM Group invested US$500 million and held US$500 million in convertible bonds, planning to achieve a listing through an offshore structure.

At the time, due to policy constraints, Huayi Brothers attempted to circumvent the restrictions through this method. However, the following year, the government introduced a new policy prohibiting foreign investment in the film production industry, forcing Huayi Brothers to abandon its overseas listing plans and instead restructure its business platform domestically.

It was around that time that Wang Jinghua and the two Wangs had a disagreement, which led to her subsequent departure.

After 2005, Huayi gradually cleared out its foreign shareholders. Wang Jinghua left, and Jack Ma came in, who was more proactive in embracing the capital market.

Later, Spring and Autumn acquired Jiahe, and Orange Sky acquired Meiya. Huayi couldn't sit still and also wanted to go public through a backdoor listing, but was stopped by Jack Ma.

"Huayi's revenue relies heavily on Feng Xiaogang. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) approves of capitalizing on celebrities, but it doesn't approve of this kind of talent dependence risk," Liu Jing sighed. He added that the film and television industry entering the capital era may not necessarily be a good thing.

"Sister Xun, when celebrities were being capitalized, Huayi didn't think of you at all. You offered your heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter." Bai Bing seized the opportunity to continue stirring up trouble.

"These things have nothing to do with me." Zhou Xun pursed his lips, deliberately bringing up the sore spot, reopening old wounds again and again. Gao Yuanyuan was much easier to deal with.

“Sister Xun, if you’re having trouble, I’ll negotiate with Huayi. Since they’ve already promised the top spot to Li Bingbing, there can’t be two tigers on one mountain…”

Before Bai Bing could finish speaking, Zhou Xun shook his head and refused, saying, "You go and handle it. Who knows how many more conditions I'll have to agree to in the future?"

She just wanted to be affiliated with a talent agency to gain more autonomy, but she didn't want to leave the wolf's den only to be tied to the tiger's den again.

Of the four actresses and two actresses from that era, all but her became bosses. How could she be content to work for someone else forever?

She wanted to be at the table too; she wanted to eat more.

"I'll handle this, no need to trouble you. Since I, Zhou Xun, promised to sign you, I will keep my word."

“Okay! I’ll wait for Sister Xun’s good news. I’ll wait three months.” Bai Bing readily agreed.

"Thank you." Zhou Xun sighed softly. She had come so early to resolve this matter.

She couldn't afford to offend Huayi, for fear of having her scandals exposed and ruining her career.

But offending Chunqiu would be even worse, as it would mean the end of his professional career, and going to Hong Kong, Taiwan, or overseas wouldn't work either.

She and Chen Kun devised a plan: they established a company and signed in-depth cooperation agreements with Huayi and Chunqiu. From now on, we will have a cooperative relationship, not a subordinate one.

Liu Jing's imposing aura and Bai Bing's aggressive manner put a lot of pressure on her, and she didn't dare to say anything.

"Xiao Dao, get a bottle of water." Liu Jing realized that no one had brought him tea or water after the conversation had come to an end.

"Coming!" Xiao Dao's voice came from upstairs; she was moving equipment up there. Hearing Liu Jing's call, she responded without thinking.

"Sister Xun, is filming for 'Confucius' almost finished? When is it scheduled for release?" Bai Bing took the initiative to change the subject. Now that the heavy stuff was over, it was time to talk about something lighter.

She and her boss put pressure on Zhou Xun today to test his attitude.

The other party's attitude will determine her future attitude, and now she understands that.

"Director Hu Mei said there are too many blockbusters this year, so she's not going to join the fray." Zhou Xun breathed a sigh of relief. It's better to let Kun'er handle negotiations like this.

Kun'er is good at dealing with women, such as Zhao Yanzi, Li Bingbing, Shu Qi, Dong Jie, and Li Xiaoran, Zeng Li and Yan Danchen from Chunqiu.

Some of them were irreconcilable enemies, but Chen Kun always managed to win them over.

"Haha, she's filming a blockbuster too. The director is worried that Zhou Xun will beat him up." Bai Bing's mood changed quickly, and she was chatting and laughing as if the scene just now had never happened.

"Sister Zhou Xun is in 'Nanjing'?" Zhao Xiaodao came downstairs carrying several bottles of water, only hearing half of the story.

quiet!
Quiet!

"Nanjing" cannot be mentioned; Zhou Xun felt the topic was too sensitive.

"Nanjing" was finally scheduled for release on September 19th. Director Lu's first application for the release date was rejected by Lao Han.

Soon after, various sensationalist opinions began to emerge online, suggesting that there was something wrong with not allowing such a good subject matter to be released on September 19th.

So the production team, swayed by public opinion, applied for a release date again, only to be rejected by Han Kuo-yu once more. Are you kidding me? Han Kuo-yu isn't the kind of person who cares about these things.

The final release date was set because someone made a deal with it. Once or twice, there was no third time, and the date was set.

Anyone with eyes can see that the other party chose this time slot specifically to target Liu Jing.

Zhou Xun's smile froze, and Bai Bing's cheerful laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Liu Jing didn't feel anything; whatever Xiao Dao said seemed normal to him.

He didn't think "Nanjing" was sensitive. When Taro first applied for a release date, he called a meeting with the team.

The assistant was very well prepared; a video was recorded when "Nanjing" was screened at Cannes.

After everyone finished watching, the atmosphere at the meeting was very relaxed. Everyone welcomed the release date of "Nanjing" and welcomed Taro to join the battle.

The original four promotional methods have been upgraded to five.

"I didn't," Zhou Xun quickly denied, forcibly changing the subject, "Liying, this dress is so pretty, where did you buy it?"

Zhou Xun did not appear in "Nanjing". There was a conflict in the crew back then, and Gao Yuanyuan and Liu Ye left the crew and followed Liu Jing to film "Under the City Wall".

Qin Lan did not back down. At first, she was quite supportive of Gao Yuanyuan, and later she played the role of Jiang Shuyun.

Liu Ye was replaced by Zhang Hanyu in the role of Lu Jianxiong. Qin Lan, who was originally cast as Tang Zhoushi, was replaced by Zhang Jingchu.

"Really? I bought it at the market. Bingbing said it was so tacky yesterday, and that I looked like a country bumpkin." Zhao Xiaodao was very happy.

Zhou Xun chuckled, "Your sister Bingbing is right, I was blind."

"Take this seriously and get me a cold bottle."

Zhao Xiaodao hadn't said anything, and Liu Jing hadn't noticed yet. But upon closer inspection, she was indeed a country girl.

It's been a while since I last saw you, and your figure hasn't changed much. You still look so young, without any progress.

She is indeed a village girl, but she is different; she has no great ambitions, but she is full of hidden talents.

"You're really something."

Under Liu Jing's strange gaze, Xiao Dao led Yi Yi to get a new drink.

It’s tricky!
Bai Bing's expression shifted slightly, her eyes revealing a subtle emotion, as she watched Zhao Xiaodao go upstairs. "Liying is very hardworking and serious, why do you always bully her?" Zhou Xun said, standing up for Xiaodao.

“Exactly, Liying is so thin, how can you still have the nerve?” Bai Bing’s eyes flickered. The boss’s bullying wouldn’t just stay on the surface; there must be a deeper story behind it.

This young lady needs to be watched; the boss has taken notice. Whether they're sisters is still uncertain, but her future looks promising.

"You're my assistant. How can you let the boss go thirsty?" Liu Jing retorted. Just a moment ago, they were at loggerheads, but now they're teaming up against me.

"Sister Xun, let's ignore him, I'll teach you how to catch ghosts." Bai Bing moved to a seat closer to Zhou Xun, full of enthusiasm.

"Oh." Zhou Xun had lost interest, but as Bai Bing explained, her interest was rekindled.

A dozen minutes later, Zhou Xun seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to understand, "When we record later, I won't be Lao Gui?"

"Sister Xun, whether you're Old Ghost or not depends on the director's arrangement. But since you're Old Ghost in the show, you probably won't be given a different role on 'Happy Camp.'" Bai Bing glanced at her boss, slightly tilted her back, and then changed the subject, "But it's hard to say, maybe the director will take an unconventional approach."

Liu Jingmu, Gao Yuanyuan, Bai Bing, Yang Mi, and Jing Tian—I have four language masters by my side.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Chen Kun was dressed like a noble young master, wearing a beige silk knit sweater, khaki linen straight-leg pants, and beige suede loafers. His hair was slicked back and shiny, and he walked over with an apologetic expression.

"It's not late, dinner hasn't even started yet." Zhou Xun didn't bother to look at it; they'd already finished talking about everything, and here it was.

“Zeng Li just talked to me for a while,” Chen Kun explained.

Liu Jing glanced at his assistant, who had just been whispering with Zeng Li. They were probably trying to get Da Qingyi to keep Chen Kun occupied.

He came with Zeng Li and Bai Bing, and went to the hotel they had arranged first. They did not come to Qiu Manor together.

"Where's Sister Zeng Li?" Zhou Xun and Zeng Li forged a deep friendship while filming "The Message".

Zeng Li has a non-aggressive personality, is not competitive or aggressive, which suits Zhou Xun's taste. In addition, they have a mutual friend, Chen Kun.

Zhou Xun wasn't as troublesome as Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Yanzi, or Xu Cainu, and Zeng Li also liked Zhou Xun quite a bit, so it was a two-way street.

Chen Kun did not answer; Zeng Li had already arrived.

"Wow! It's so lively here, where's Yuanyuan?"

Zeng Li was dressed simply, in a short-sleeved top and wide-leg pants, looking very casual and homey.

The competition for the title of Huayi Brothers' leading lady is fierce, with four top actresses—Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Ruby Lin—all vying for the top spot, none willing to concede. Even Ruby Lin, who has declared she will not participate, is outwardly compliant but inwardly resentful.

There's no point in arguing about who's the top female artist in Spring and Autumn. Every artist knew from the moment they signed a contract that Gao Yuanyuan was the number one.

Among the five beauties of the Spring and Autumn period, their relationship wasn't exactly close, but it was certainly not bad either.

So when Zeng Li entered the room, the first person she asked was Gao Yuanyuan.

"Sister Zeng Li, what would you like to drink? I'll get it for you." Zhao Liying was very happy; finally, someone she was close to had come along.

"Give me a bottle of mineral water." Zeng Li suddenly blushed. Seeing Zhao Liying reminded her of some subtle experiences.

Following Zeng Li's arrival, the others entered one after another.

Especially after Xie Na arrived, the quiet Qiu Manor erupted in chaos.

"Zeng Li, it's such a shame you didn't win Best Actress for 'Lurking' which was so good." After exchanging pleasantries, Xie Na pulled Zeng Li aside to chat.

"There's nothing to regret about losing to Song Dandan," Zeng Li said nonchalantly.

The 15th Magnolia Awards had just concluded, and through Chunqiu's efforts, Zeng Li received a Best Actress nomination.

This time, Zeng Li was a runner-up, and the grand prize was ultimately won by Song Dandan in "Marvin's War".

Duan Yihong was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "My Chief and My Regiment", but he lost to Sun Honglei for "Lurking".

However, in the audience voting segment, Duan Yihong won the Most Popular Actor Award, and Zeng Li won the Most Popular Actress Award.

Although he didn't win the expert-selected award, the audience vote counts as a major prize, and Liu Jing thus received a chance to win a prize.

Bai Bing was very happy, as Zeng Li and Duan Yihong were both artists under her management, which significantly improved her status and reputation in the talent agency circle.

"Lurking" won the Gold Award for Best TV Series. Gao Yuanyuan was one of the producers, and Liu Jing got another chance to win a prize.

The Magnolia Award was a great success, or so Liu Jing thought.

He used both of his chances to win the prize immediately, without holding them over the night.

Congratulations! You've won the song "Wujiapo". Please choose a suitable time to claim your prize.

Congratulations! You have won the "Mastering Dialogue" ability. Please choose a suitable time to claim it.

Take it from whom, use it for whom.

The song "Wujiapo" was given to Zeng Li, and Liu Jing felt that only Zeng Li had the ability to sing it. This time on "Happy Camp," there was a talent segment where he and Zeng Li sang "Wujiapo" together, while Chen Kun and Zhou Xun sang "The Sound of the Wind."

Mastering lines is a skill, not just simple knowledge. Liu Jing spent 50,000 units of entertainment energy to give this skill to Little Lion.

In the later dubbing process of "Chinese Paladin 3", Yang Mi and Tang Yan used their own voices, while Liu Shishi was dubbed.

The little lion was quite discouraged, and from then on, he practiced his lines even harder every day. Unfortunately, due to his congenital deficiencies, even with double the effort, he only achieved half the results.

The senior brother still cares a lot for his junior sister. With so many bonds between them, Liu Jing feels that the little lion needs to improve her dialogue delivery the most.

After chatting with Zeng Li for a while, Xie Na came to bother Liu Jing again, "Liu Jing, when are you going to bring the four beauties from the Legend of Sword and Fairy to our place?"

"Chinese Paladin 3" has already been broadcast on some local TV stations, and Lao Cai (the producer) has started to promote it. The title of "Four Beauties of Chinese Paladin" has gradually emerged on the Internet.

"Tomorrow," Liu Jing replied casually.

"..." Xie Na's forehead was covered in black lines. This answer was too perfunctory.

clap clap clap...

He Jiong clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention, "Everyone's here, let's begin."

"Hurry up, I'm getting impatient." Xie Na said with a grin, completely unperturbed by Liu Jing's words.

"Sister Na, from now on, don't call yourself Xie Na, just call yourself Xie Hua," Hai Tao joked.

"No! Please call me Xie Xiaojian."

Amidst the banter and jokes, everyone took turns sitting around.

"Now, please welcome Gao Yuanyuan to explain the rules of the game." He Jiong applauded in welcome.

"Ahem, good afternoon, everyone. The ghost-catching game was an idea from one of our screenwriters, and the director and everyone else worked together to turn it into a game. There are at least six players and at most twenty. The rules will vary depending on the number of players, but the general gameplay will be the same..."

Gao Yuanyuan was very knowledgeable about the ghost-catching game, and she gave everyone a copy of the rules.

As she explained, some people quickly understood, like He Jiong. Others just couldn't understand; Zhao Xiaodao was an example.

"After all that, everyone should have a basic understanding of the rules. Now let's play a real game. Feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."

"Sister Yuanyuan, are you guys having a serious game? Are you going to include me?" Bai Bing asked with a smile.

"Who are you? I don't know you."

"Never mind, I'm in the same class as Xiaodao..."

(End of this chapter)