Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 282 The Dinner Party (Bonus Chapter for 2032 Alliance Leaders)

This is true!
China Film Group was involved in films such as *Telephone*, *Sheep Without a Shepherd*, *The Big Shot*, and *Bad Genius*.

On the one hand, Shen Yan's movies do make money; on the other hand, this type of subject matter does need the endorsement of relevant authorities.

Of course, China Film Group isn't omnipotent—"No Man's Land" is still being shelved.

However, with China Film Group's joint participation, the pressure on these projects was indeed greatly reduced. For example, "Sheep Without a Shepherd" partnered with Golden Shield Film & Television, thanks to the connections made by China Film Group, while "Bad Genius" also had to go through the Education Bureau's review process...

Making a film involves various departments, and approval from the relevant authorities is required...

"How did you come up with the idea to make this movie?"

Do you know the movie "The Social Network"?

"David Fincher's movies?"

Shen Yan nodded: "Yes! 'American Dreams in China' is actually New Oriental's version of 'The Social Network.' The narrative structure is inspired by 'The Social Network,' only the ending is different..."

"But I feel... a little awkward..."

"It's normal to feel a little awkward, because the first pot of gold for this generation of successful entrepreneurs was somewhat shady..."

Many people say that "American Dreams in China" conveys incorrect values, but it's more accurate to say that these people did exactly the same kind of morally questionable things back then.

Li Xiaoping nodded, then continued, "However, it seems that Brother Xiaoming and Deng Chao have some kind of conflict..."

"It's alright, we can use a movie to make them compete against each other... Cheng Dongqing and Meng Xiaojun don't get along very well to begin with... I'll go and persuade them!"

"Okay, then I'll wait for your good news..."

With the matter mostly settled, Li Xiaoping asked, "...Did you successfully challenge the contestants on 'I Am a Singer'?"

"...It's done, it'll be broadcast the day after tomorrow..."

"Which one do you prefer, 'The Flowers of War' or 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate'?"

"...I don't think any of them are good!"

"Huh?" Li Xiaoping exclaimed in surprise, "Don't you think 'The Flowers of War' can gross over a billion?"

"...That's unlikely. Look at the poster for 'The Flowers of War,' Zhang Weiping's name is more prominent than Zhang Yimou's. That's a classic case of getting carried away!"

Shen Yan added, "His publicity tactics are too low-class. He exaggerates the investment, the box office, the cast, criticizes so-and-so for causing controversy, and hypes up the sex scenes... It's a bit outdated. Moreover, for a film about a national crisis, to be making 10 billion yuan at the box office every day... it feels particularly despicable."

"...What about Flying Swords of Dragon Gate?"

"Tsui Hark is getting old... Li Lianjie is getting old too, this movie definitely can't compare to 'New Dragon Gate Inn'... but if you're calling it a sequel to 'New Dragon Gate Inn,' you'll probably get criticized anyway..."

"So how much box office revenue do you estimate?"

"I don't know..." Shen Yan shook his head: "Anyway, how much box office revenue there is has nothing to do with me!"

"Didn't you say you were going to write a review of 'The Flowers of War'?"

"...Just kidding. Even if I were to write a review, I'd wait until the movie's run is over... After all, I have a lot of fans, and it wouldn't be good for me!"

……

Yan Ge really had no intention of getting involved in "The Flowers of War" or "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"...

Neither of these two movies has anything to do with him.

Moreover… both Zhang Yimou and Xu Ke are directors that Shen Yan greatly respects…

Most importantly, there's a very low probability they'll have any interaction!
There's no need to deliberately get involved in trouble.

Yes, he could write a review of these two movies, but... it wouldn't make a difference.

Besides engaging in empty talk to get some enjoyment...

Moreover, there is an even more pressing issue that needs to be addressed right now—the female lead for "My Love from the Star"!
Gao Yuanyuan withdrew from the performance…

Shen Yan needs an actress of similar fame to take his place!

But to be honest, Gao Yuanyuan is a genuine A-list actress; in the Chinese entertainment industry, you could count the top A-list actresses on one hand. Her image, age, and most importantly, the fact that she's not disliked by anyone (Shen Yan)...

There are only a handful of them!

Of the four actresses and two actresses (referring to actresses who have worked with celebrities), one is either involved in legal trouble or disliked by Shen Yan. Only Li Bingbing remains, but she's too old…

One more thing, she... isn't filming TV dramas for the time being!
They're busy making their way into Hollywood...

Moving on to the next row, what about Huang Shengyi, one of the four little actresses?
That's such a rip-off!

Look at Huayu Wen, is there any article about Huang Shengyi?
This guy is ruthless – he was the first person in the Chinese entertainment industry to jump out against Hong Kong and Taiwan management companies, and he even attacked Stephen Chow!
Back then, Ying Er was a rising star at Juli Film Company. She attended the premiere of her own film, *Pirate Love*, but was stopped at the door by Huang Shengyi's people and not allowed to enter. She was even forcibly removed from the venue by security personnel…

Yang Zi and Huang Shengyi didn't arrive until they had finished the premiere procedures, and they rushed over to save Ying Er from the situation.

Honestly, after watching Huang Shengyi for a while, I always felt there was a faint sense of death about her... I could sense her anxiety and depression, but when she expressed it, she was quite cowardly...

The four most popular young actresses... Yang Mi, Huang Shengyi, Wang Luodan, and Liu Yifei!
Neither is suitable...

Cheon Song-yi's age is set to be around 28 years old...

Okay, Fan Bingbing is the most suitable!
The problem is, Shen Yan really doesn't dare to approach her...

He always keeps his distance from those who violate the law!
So who should we choose?
Shen Yan's idea is a charming actress around 30 years old.

Song Jia, Zhang Yuqi, and Wan Qian are all candidates…

Then I received a call from President Lu.

Mr. Lu is a glamorous boss, and he's Jing Tian's sugar daddy...

He started by saying, "I heard your new TV series can't find a female lead?"

Shen Yan paused for a moment, then realized something…

He's talking about the female lead in "My Love from the Star"!
He shook his head decisively: "It's not that I can't find one, it's that I'm considering who would be more suitable!"

"...Why not consider Jing Tian!"

Shen Yan instinctively refused: "...This is an idol drama, there are a lot of kissing scenes!"

"...It's okay...Let's meet and talk about it in detail!"

"...Where are you?"

Shen Yan planned to refuse the meeting, giving a simple reason: 'It's too far; let's talk another day!'

Once he finishes casting, he can't just force the female lead out of the production, can he?

Tell me where you are... and I'll have the driver pick you up...

"...I am in XXX,"

Damn it, I was wrong!
It seems he has no choice but to go this time!
Okay, I'll refuse then.

No matter how rich you are, you can't shake Brother Yan's pursuit of art!

……

After graduating, Da Tian Tian starred in several movies.
My Beautiful Boss, Time Traveler, Warring States, and Back to 20...

Of these, only "Back to 20" achieved both critical acclaim and box office success...

This movie is a collaboration with Shen Yan!
Therefore, President Lu also regarded Shen Yan as his savior...

Actually, the way Starlight Entertainment promoted Jing Tian is nothing new; Win's Entertainment did the same thing to Zhang Min back in the day…

She was paired with top-tier stars like Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat, and Andy Lau, but Zhang Min didn't play any central roles. To put it bluntly, she was just a decorative vase next to the superstars.

This method is very scientific. Although Zhang Min has never won any awards and her acting skills have been controversial, she still became a goddess of her generation!
Xia Yufanghong, Xianzhen Minxin…

Da Tian Tian... it feels like she's forcing things to grow too fast.

(End of this chapter)