Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 442 You call this Shura Field?
May 11, Xiamen.

The Straits Theatre, which was just completed at the beginning of the month, was crowded with people, and hundreds of reporters, photographers, and fans gathered outside the fence of the main square. Every time a crew or star walked on the red carpet, there would be cheers and camera shutter sounds.

"Our CEO Meng is really awesome. He was the first one to urge in the group this afternoon, but he was the last one to arrive."

In the rest and waiting area outside the theater, Guo Fan glanced at the time and complained to the crew members around him.

Today is the 32nd Golden Rooster Awards. The Wandering Earth has been nominated for six awards, so many people came to attend the ceremony. In addition to director Guo Fan, there are also the original author Liu Cixin, the lead actor Zhao Jinmai, and the heads of the art, recording and other technical teams.

Another lead actor, Wu Jing, was actually here too, but he entered the venue earlier than the other groups. As for Qu Chuxiao, since he was not nominated anyway, he was left at Blue Island to continue to focus on filming Twinkle Twinkle Star.

Hearing Guo Fan's complaints, Zhao Jinmai asked in confusion: "Director, is there anything wrong with Brother Meng Bai?"

"I don't know. He just sent a message saying that he had a sudden meeting and asked us to wait for him for a while." Guo Fan explained, taking out the WeChat message he had just received.

As they were talking, they suddenly saw two figures in formal attire walking towards them quickly. Before they could see clearly, they heard a familiar voice.

"I'm sorry, everyone. Something happened and I'm late."

Meng Bai strode up to the crew and apologized.

Before Guo Fan and the others could speak, they heard a middle-aged man beside him say with a smile: "I really can't blame Mr. Meng today. I delayed what you wanted to say."

Meng Bai smiled and said, "Since Mr. Fu has taken the blame for me, I won't take the blame for it."

The Wandering Earth was nominated for the Golden Rooster Awards, so China Film Group, as the producer, naturally had to send someone over. The middle-aged man who just spoke was the representative of China Film Group, named Fu Ruoqing, the general manager of China Film Group.

Rumor has it that this person is likely to succeed La Peikang and become the next head of China Film in a few years.

Originally Meng Baiting was ready to set off, but was suddenly called away by Fu Ruoqing halfway, saying that he needed to hold an emergency meeting with the leaders of the Film Bureau, the Golden Rooster Awards jury, and the bosses of several film and television companies who were present today.

Fortunately, the time was not long, and for convenience it was right next to the theater, so it didn't take long.

Naturally, it was impossible for the crew to really blame Fu Ruoqing, and they were not very familiar with him, so they just said a few words that it was okay, and the atmosphere became somewhat restrained.

"What did you talk about in the meeting?" Guo Fan asked curiously.

"There's nothing specific. We just talked about the ideology of this year's Golden Rooster Awards and some new reform measures." Meng Bai said casually.

Zhao Jinmai, who was eavesdropping on the side, suddenly interrupted: "Brother Meng Bai, didn't you ask just now if the final grand prize today belongs to our movie?"

Without waiting for Meng Bai to speak, Guo Fan smiled and said, "Mai Mai, how can you announce this kind of award list in advance?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinmai realized that he had asked a stupid question and smiled awkwardly.

"The list of winners will definitely not be announced in advance, but..." Meng Bai said, "We do have the highest chance of winning the best film of the night."

Guo Fan's eyes lit up when he heard this: "What do you mean?"

"It's a bit complicated. Actually, it's just my guess. I can only say that our "The Wandering Earth" needs the Golden Rooster Awards, and this year's Golden Rooster Awards also needs "The Wandering Earth." Meng Bai said: "Let's walk the red carpet first, and then we can talk inside later."

Guo Fan also knew that now was not the time to talk, so he suppressed his curiosity and began to ask everyone in the crew to tidy up their clothes and prepare to walk the red carpet.

"puff--"

Looking at the uncles lined up neatly in a row, Zhao Jinmai suddenly laughed.

Meng Bai looked over and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." Zhao Jinmai suppressed her smile and gestured to the people in front of her: "I just suddenly realized that everyone is wearing dresses of similar colors and styles today. From the back, it looks a bit like Candy Crush."

Meng Bai looked over in the direction the little girl pointed, and it turned out to be quite like that.

For occasions like this, there are only a few types of formal wear that men can wear, and the colors are mostly black. Most of the people who came to the crew of "The Wandering Earth" today were the main creative staff behind the scenes, and they didn't care much about this aspect.

As a result, these seven or eight people were basically wearing "black suits + white shirts". Such a group of men lined up and walked forward, and they didn't look like good people at all.

In comparison, Meng Bai's outfit was different from the others. He wore a light blue slim-fitting suit and a black shirt, and his face was gradually becoming more mature as he got older. When he stood there casually, the eyes of outsiders would automatically be drawn to him.

Looking at the uncles like Guo Fan in front of him, then turning his head to look at Meng Bai beside him, Zhao Jinmai felt that his eyes were purified.

What disappointed her was that the little dress she had specially asked her mother to pick out for her today didn't seem to be noticed.

"Brother Meng Bai."

Zhao Jinmai tugged at Meng Bai's sleeve, and when he looked at her, she gently pinched the hem of her skirt and shook it: "How do you think my clothes are today? Do they look good?"

After saying that, she looked at him expectantly.

Hearing this, Meng Bai lowered his head to look at the girl beside him.

The slightly curly long hair fell down and draped over her shoulders. She was wearing a white dress with a small black belt that bound her slender waist. The lower body of the dress was made into a pleated skirt style, reaching to the knees, and she was wearing a pair of small black leather boots.

"Very good." Meng Bai nodded, "You are young and cute, very suitable for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinmai immediately laughed happily.

"But..." Meng Bai continued: "Why do I feel like I've gotten a little darker recently?"

Zhao Jinmai's happy mood suddenly froze, and she pouted: "I was filming "The Accidental Murderer" in Thailand before. The sun there was very strong, and I got sunburned."

Meng Bai also responded. Indeed, it was summer when "The Accidental Murderer" was filmed. Thailand is a subtropical country, so the sun must be much stronger.

"It's okay. You look healthier now. Besides, it's not winter yet. Just keep it covered for a few months. Your hair will turn white naturally in the spring." He comforted the little girl.
"Can it change back?" Zhao Jinmai asked doubtfully.

"Of course." Meng Bai said, "If Bai doesn't come back, just come find me."

After saying that, he bent his arm and said, "Let's go, it's time for us to walk the red carpet."

Zhao Jinmai's cheeks turned red, and she raised her hand to hug Meng Bai's arm. Then she suppressed her joy, tried to keep a calm expression, and slowly walked onto the red carpet.

Compared with previous years, this year's Golden Rooster Awards have changed a lot and the popularity is particularly high.

As early as a month ago, someone broke the news that this year's Golden Rooster Awards would announce a lot of reform measures. The most eye-catching one is that the frequency of the event will be adjusted from the previous "every two years" to "once a year", officially decoupling from the Hundred Flowers Awards.

When the Golden Rooster Awards were first established, the domestic film industry was still in its infancy. At that time, the number of films released each year was limited, and the frequency of two years was just enough to accumulate some films so that there would not be too many awards to share.

However, with the development of the film market, especially the explosive growth after 10 years, the annual output of domestic films has greatly increased. At this time, it seems that the awards are not enough to continue to maintain the frequency of "every two years".

What's more, in the Internet age, the popularity of a movie can fade away quickly. The movies selected for the biennial awards may all be works from two years ago, giving people a feeling of "reheating old food".

So as early as a few years ago, practitioners in the film industry began to call for the Golden Rooster Awards to be changed to "one year". Until this year, the Golden Rooster Awards Jury finally approved this reform and decided to hold it once a year starting next year, mainly selecting films of that year.

In addition, the venue of the Golden Rooster Awards this year has also changed significantly. Instead of changing from one inland city to another every year as before, it has been changed to Xiamen, a coastal city that is closer to the world, and it has been decided that it will be held here for the next five years.

"Tsk tsk, the organizers of this year's Golden Rooster Awards really spent a lot of money."

As soon as he entered the theater lobby, Guo Fan looked at the grand interior of the theater and couldn't help but sigh.

Meng Bai looked around and had the same opinion in his heart. This year's Golden Rooster Awards had been upgraded from the aesthetics of the promotional posters to the venue. It was no longer the old style of the urban-rural junction, but had become more modern and professional.

Obviously, as the highest award for domestic films, the Golden Rooster Awards has gradually begun to hope to break through the domestic scope and move towards a larger international stage.

"Boss Meng!"

A low female voice sounded behind the crowd. Meng Bai turned around and saw a woman in a black dress with a big smile looking at him. The woman obviously noticed Fu Ruoqing and Guo Fan beside Meng Bai and quickly greeted them, "Mr. Fu, Director Guo, hello, I'm Ni Ni."

The one who came was Nini, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time.

Fu Ruoqing and the others naturally knew her, and they all smiled and greeted her. Guo Fan was even more considerate, and said directly: "Miss Ni Ni, are you looking for Mr. Meng? Then you two can chat first, and we will find a seat."

After saying that, he gave Meng Bai a look that said "Brother understands you". He then asked the crew to leave first, and took Zhao Jinmai, who had been standing next to Meng Bai and didn't intend to move.

Although the little girl was dissatisfied, she had no reason to stay. She could only lower her head slightly and pout as she was dragged away.

After taking a few steps, I heard the "playboy" chatting with the woman with a smile on his face.

Humph! Not happy!
Seeing the crew of The Wandering Earth leaving, Ni Ni looked at Meng Bai with a smile: "Long time no see, Mr. Meng."

"Not that long." Meng Bai smiled and said, "I remember seeing him at an event at the beginning of the year."

"There are too many beauties around Mr. Meng, so a year is indeed not a long time." Ni Ni joked.

After saying that, the two couldn't help but look at each other and smile.

"Did you come here by yourself today?" Meng Bai asked.

"Yeah, I don't have any movies, I just came here to walk the red carpet." Nini nodded lightly.

"This isn't Cannes. Why would you want to rub shoulders with the Golden Rooster Awards red carpet?"

Of course, Ni Ni was not here to sneak onto the red carpet; she was invited to be the guest of honor for the prize-giving ceremony.

"Drawing the prize? Which one are you in charge of?"

"Best Editing." Ni Ni said, "I remember that The Wandering Earth also seemed to be nominated for this award."

"You remember correctly, there is."

"That's great." Ni Ni laughed, "I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to present an award to Mr. Meng."

"You are drawing the prizes, not presenting them. Besides, even if I am nominated, I will not be the one to receive the award," Meng Bai said directly.

Nini sighed softly: "What a pity."

Meng Bai smiled and changed the subject: "What are you busy with recently?"

This was just a casual greeting, but unexpectedly, Ni Ni gave him a strange look: "You don't know?"

Meng Bai looked at her strangely: "I should know?"

We just had a few one-night stands, how could we have nothing else to do but pay attention to it?

"It seems that Mr. Meng is really busy recently." Ni Ni raised her eyebrows at him, "I am currently filming an urban drama with two female protagonists. The other co-star is Mr. Meng's first girlfriend as rumored by online marketing accounts."

Two female protagonists, urban drama, first girlfriend...

Meng Bai grinned speechlessly. Damn, what a coincidence.

Putting these keywords together, it can only be the drama "The Golden Years" that Li Qin is currently filming.

"So the other female lead in The Golden Years is you. You really look like Zhu Suosuo."

"Exaggerated and materialistic?"

"I mean the appearance and temperament."

"Well, I am happy to hear what Mr. Meng said."

Ni Ni smiled brightly: "I thought this drama was produced by Tianqi Entertainment, and you already knew the cast of the lead actors."

I know nothing! Meng Bai complained in his heart.

Although the drama "The Golden Years" is produced by Apocalypse Entertainment, the copyright is in the hands of Tencent, so they are also responsible for the main control.

Meng Bai recommended Li Qin as the female lead, but he didn't know much about her afterwards. In addition, he was busy with the Ruyi merger and the "Retrospection Series" during this period, so he really didn't know that the other female lead was Ni Ni.

If I had known this earlier... well, it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference if I had known this earlier.

Ni Ni is not Li Yitong and the others, and strictly speaking, she does not have much interaction with Meng Bai. Even if she cooperates with Li Qin, it is not a big problem.

She is not the kind of 18th-tier artist who dreams of getting promoted overnight and does whatever it takes. Would she really go over and tell the other person that she had slept with his man?

In fact, it's just the opposite. After being in the group for more than half a month, Ni Ni and Li Qin have a good relationship and can be considered familiar friends.

"Qinqin is a nice girl." Ni Ni said, "Mr. Meng has good taste."

"You two get along pretty well."

"We play best friends who grew up together. How could we be so strangers in real life? We don't have such good acting skills."

After saying that, Ni Ni showed a smug expression, moved closer to Meng Bai and said with a smile: "I wonder if Mr. Meng has time tonight, so we can talk more about me and my 'best friend'."

Meng Bai's mind moved. The label of "girlfriend and bestie" was still very attractive. He looked at the smiling Ni Ni and asked, "Aren't you in a hurry to return to the crew?"

"It's just for participating in the event. The director can understand if I stay for an extra day or half a day - as long as you, the investor, don't report me."

"That depends on your performance." Meng Bai said, "I think after the award ceremony tonight, we can discuss in detail the specific meaning of the title 'Investor Daddy'."

"..."

Ni Ni's location was not with the crew of The Wandering Earth, so the two separated first. Meng Bai, under the guidance of the staff, found Guo Fan and his team.

"Hmph! Hmph..."

As soon as I sat down, I heard the little girl Zhao Jinmai groaning as if she had a toothache.

"What's wrong?" Meng Bai poked her.

"It's okay." Zhao Jinmai puffed his lips, but couldn't help asking, "That Ni Ni...sister, is your relationship with her the same as Sister Qin Lan's?"

Meng Bai glanced at her. What's with your tone of voice, as if you caught your boyfriend flirting with someone else in front of you and had to enter the Shura Field?

Perhaps because he felt that his tone was a little strange, Zhao Jinmai said, "I, I'm asking on behalf of Sister Qinqin."

"Then I'll thank you on her behalf." Meng Bai said perfunctorily, "This is an adult matter, so don't ask so many questions, little girl."

"I'm not young!" Zhao Jinmai frowned, "I'll be eighteen next year!"

"Yes, yes, it's not small. Then come back and ask when you are eighteen."

"..."

Zhao Jinmai was furious, pouting and muttering: scumbag brother, sea king brother, playboy brother...

Meng Bai ignored the little girl's mumbling at this moment. He was chatting with Guo Fan about the choice of the grand prize for tonight.

(End of this chapter)