Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

"Sisi, where are you going this year?"

"Which side? What do you mean, which side?"

"Stop pretending. What other side could it be? It's the Spring Festival premiere, which one are you going to?"

"Oh, I haven't thought about that yet."

"That's true. The Spring Festival and National Day film seasons are the most troublesome every year. The National Day season is a bit better, but the Spring Festival season always has several blockbusters, making it difficult for us to choose which premiere to attend."

"But...you probably don't need to choose, right? Although the other films are all by old friends and seniors, but..."

"Don't talk nonsense. I just received an invitation to 'The Wandering Earth' first, and I also had a cameo role in it."

Li Qian shook her head seriously and said, "Now that Chi Ye has a child, it's fine for him to joke about this kind of thing with me, but if other people hear it and it gets back to Chi Ye..."

Before he could finish speaking, his friend had clearly already imagined what was going on, and his expression turned somewhat awkward and frightened.

Indeed, it would have been fine before, but recently Chi Ye has had her first child. If she says this now, and someone with ulterior motives takes advantage of it, she will be the one who suffers.

"And you? Which restaurant are you planning to go to?"

Seeing that her warning had had an effect, Li Qian stopped talking about it and asked her friend with a smile.

My friend paused for a moment, then said without pretense, "Where else could it be... Everyone wants to latch onto Chi Ye's coattails these days, and I'm no exception."

"Then let's go together."

"Yes, I heard that all four of the most popular young actresses will be attending the premiere."

"Really? We can be active this summer?"

"It should have been ready a long time ago, it's been a month, he should be able to move around by now..."

"..."

……

The above conversation is almost the norm in the industry recently. People are talking about this in private, at parties, and even backstage at various events.

—Where to hold the premiere during this year's Spring Festival film season?

This "which side" is not necessarily an opposing side. Although from a competitive perspective, every well-known blockbuster film in the Spring Festival season should be a competitor, it is just a commercial competition.

At most, there's a bit of "past history" between "The Wandering Earth" and "Yang Jian 2," but neither party has mentioned it, so naturally no one is stirring things up.

Otherwise, if things develop into an environment where you have to choose sides, they'll be the ones who suffer, because whichever side you choose, you'll offend the other.

Neither Ikeno nor Director Wu, who rose to fame with "Yang Jian 2," were people they wanted to offend.

This is the opinion of most people in the industry who are not very close to Ikeno and Director Ura.

Of course, there are also people who are naturally "close" to coconut jelly.

For example, Chicken Claw Zhang.

Chicken Claw Zhang has been very busy lately. He has successfully transitioned to working behind the scenes and no longer needs to flaunt his now-ruined physique in front of the camera.

I'm getting old, and I can't swing anymore.

We have to thank Ikeno for this. If Ikeno hadn't taken a liking to the short drama industry and given him a helping hand, Chicken Claw Zhang would probably have been swept away by history by now.

This is predictable, because with the explosive growth of short dramas, the related industries and rules are becoming more standardized at a visible pace.

As we all know, once an industry begins to develop in a more standardized way, various regulations and rules will follow.

Investors will also begin to pour in in large quantities—this is the key point.

Without Chi Ye's help, Douyin wouldn't have valued Yeguo. Without the capital support from Douyin's parent company, Yeguo's current status is uncertain.

Therefore, Zhang Shi of Chicken Claws is grateful to Chi Ye from the bottom of his heart. Everything from years ago has long become a thing of the past. How many twenty-year-olds does one have in a lifetime?

Everyone has experienced youthful recklessness. To meet Chi Ye during that reckless time, and to avoid turning against each other years later, is already the best possible outcome.

Not to mention, he not only refrained from drawing his sword, but even started to act like a respectable person.

On the 28th, the day before the release of "The Wandering Earth", Zhang, nicknamed "Chicken Claws", got ready early in the morning. He wore hair wax, hair oil, and a black suit, sporting a very classic greasy style of makeup and styling. After breakfast, he prepared to take his team to the cinema.

He had to go ahead of time. Although Ikeno didn't say anything, he still wanted to lick as many licks as possible and see if there was anything he could do to help.

Today is a big event. The premiere of "The Wandering Earth" has a lot of guest invitations, and all the attendees are big names. Moreover... according to rumors, just rumors, I heard that a certain big shot will also be there today, but I don't know if it's true.

After all, this news is too explosive. If it is true, then those in the industry who are still hesitating will probably flock to the premiere of "The Wandering Earth" tonight.

Even if it's not for any other reason than to make a good impression on the other party, it's still a good thing.

Who knows, something good might come your way someday?
Chicken Claw Zhang is an "insider," so he was able to get the information and was certain that other outsiders probably didn't know yet.

"Mr. Zhang, I've been getting calls since last night. They're looking for you; they're your friend."

The secretary walked in as Chicken Claw Zhang was walking quickly, her pretty face showing signs of fatigue: "We thought it was a scam call, but he kept calling, changing numbers."

"Ok?"

Chicken Claw Zhang let out a soft "Eh?" and became interested: "So persistent? Can con artists really have this much 'professional ethics'?"

Secretary: "...Look..."

"Give it to me, I want to have a chat with him."

Although Chicken Claw Zhang is getting older, he hasn't lost his abstract nature. He reached out and took the still-ringing phone: "Hello? This is Zhang Xianming. Is there something you need?"

"CNM."

An extremely polite voice came from the other end of the phone, and Chicken Claw Zhang was stunned and didn't retort.

"I."

The other end said one word.

Chicken Claws paused for a moment before bursting into a tirade: "You son of a bitch, you're out now? You beast, you're out again?"

The man wasn't ashamed at all; he simply said, "I'm having some trouble right now. Give me some money, and I'll pay you back later."

"No, go to hell."

After Chicken Claw Zhang finished speaking, he originally wanted to hang up the phone, but perhaps he really was an old friend from many years ago. Although their relationship had long since become like that of strangers, they were still strangers who had known each other for more than ten years.

He thought for a moment and then asked, "You really haven't changed your mouth at all. There's no way I'm going to lend you the money. Don't ask why. If you do, you deserve it."

"Besides money, you must have something else on your mind, right? Tell me so I can have a good laugh."

The person on the other end remained silent for a long time before saying bitterly, "I want to start a business again... Of course, this time it will definitely not be illegal. What I'm thinking is that nostalgia is quite popular lately. Do you think we should team up and put on a Rise nostalgia-themed performance..."

Are you out of your mind?

Chicken Claw Zhang mercilessly attacked the other party: "You're already in this state, can't you find a proper job? How many times have you been in and out? At this age, do you want to go back in for further training?"

He got carried away and said, "I'm different from you now, I advise you to..."

"Peng Chen has been diagnosed with colon cancer." Chicken Claw Zhang was stunned.

Mr. Jiang on the other end wiped his nose, which was red from the wind, and said, "I received the news yesterday: rectal cancer."

Chicken Claw Zhang snapped out of his daze and wanted to say something sarcastic, but for some reason, he didn't continue to attack the other person. Instead, he said with a strange sense of irritation, "What exactly are you trying to say? Does his cancer have anything to do with you?"

"...He promised to help me out."

Chicken Claw Zhang was dumbfounded and burst out cursing: "No way, Jiang Yi, are you even human? He's already like this, and you still won't let him go?!"

"I now strongly suspect that he got cancer from drinking your wine. How dare you!"

"...Never mind, just pretend I never made this call."

Jiang was probably a little upset, so he stopped chatting with Chicken Claw Zhang and hung up the phone.

Chicken Claw Zhang spat at his phone, then waved: "Let's go, let's set off."

"Okay, Mr. Zhang."

"and many more."

"what happened?"

"...Never mind, you guys get ready first, I'll make a phone call."

Chicken Claw Zhang hesitated for a long time, then sighed and told his team to prepare. He took out his phone, thought for a moment, and dialed a friend in the industry to inquire about Peng Chen's situation.

In fact, Peng Chen's diagnosis was only confirmed recently, and the news obviously hasn't spread yet. It's estimated that apart from his own team, not many people know about it.

However, Chicken Claw Zhang has no shortage of connections. Peng Chen's friends are all veterans who left Rise back then, and he is also a former teammate of Rise. He can easily find out the general situation by asking around.

Peng Chen has indeed been diagnosed, and there are some clues to this, because everyone in the country knows that Peng Chen has a bad stomach and intestines, and over the years, he has caused quite a few jokes.

At the time, everyone just treated it as a joke, and Peng Chen himself didn't take it seriously. Unexpectedly, he actually encountered this situation at the age of thirty-six.

Indeed, his work has gradually decreased in recent years, and in the last two years, he has even been completely forgotten. If it weren't for Mr. Jiang mentioning him, Chicken Claw Zhang would have even forgotten that there was such a person as Peng Chen in the industry, this "top influencer".

—This is no longer a top star; Peng Chen is no longer one.

“It was discovered very early, so we can carry out targeted therapy. Of course... that's the best-case scenario, and we can't rule out the possibility of unexpected complications.”

This is what his friend said to Chicken Claw Zhang, and Chicken Claw Zhang felt a mix of emotions after hearing it.

Logically speaking, he and Peng Chen weren't exactly friends, but perhaps it's true that people become more sentimental as they get older. Peng Chen had many flaws, but upon closer examination, apart from not returning the dog he stole from Chi Ye, he didn't seem to have harmed anyone else.

"Oh well, everyone has their own fate."

He arrived at the theater for the premiere of "The Wandering Earth." Many people had already started setting up. It wasn't exactly crowded, but it was certainly a bit chaotic.

Chicken Claw Zhang lost interest in helping, found a seat, and stared blankly at his phone.

A short while later, a text message came in.

Thank you, I've received the money. We're even now. —Jiang.

Chicken Claw Zhang stared at the text message for a long time, then suddenly replied: "[You son of a bitch, don't be so heartless. This isn't a loan; it's a gift. Don't bother with Peng Chen's nostalgic main stage anymore. He's already like this, and we've known each other for over ten years. Have some decency.]"

The text message was sent, but the other end displayed the message: "[You have been blacklisted.]"

Chicken Claw Zhang: "???"

Jiang, you're a real beast! So you never intended to pay back this money from the very beginning?
grass!!

He felt that his kindness had been tainted, and he began to tremble all over.

"What are you doing? Recording right here?"

A voice rang in his ear, and Chicken Claw Zhang instantly returned to normal. He looked at Chi Ye, who had just walked in, and said awkwardly, "Uh... well, it's not that bad. I don't need this... this partner right now, haha."

Ikeno pointed at him: "If you don't need it, come and help."

"Oh, okay, yes, yes..."

Chicken Claw Zhang got up and went to Chi Ye's side. While helping to arrange the gifts, he said, "Peng Chen is gone."

"what?"

Ikeno exclaimed in surprise, "What?"

Chicken Claw Zhang paused, then decided he still had to tell Chi Ye: "I have cancer."

Chi Ye stopped what he was doing and frowned: "The first piece of good news from today's premiere is actually this!"

"what?"

Chicken Claw Zhang was dumbfounded.

Chino paused for a moment, then waved his hand to skip the topic: "Let's go, there's another row over there."

"……Oh."

Chicken Claw Zhang scrutinized his expression, only to find that he could no longer see through this former captain.

……

8 PM.

The premiere theater for "The Wandering Earth" at Wanda Cinema in the capital was already packed, while Chi Ye had already gone to the CCTV building, which was only five kilometers away.

He has a Spring Festival Gala performance to perform today. As for the Empress Dowager, she couldn't be there today. Although she has recovered quite a bit, both her family and Chi Ye's side still think she needs to be careful and not be exposed to the wind right after giving birth.

So, the Empress Dowager's role in this year's Spring Festival Gala skit was canceled. This was quite a serious matter. In the past, it would have offended the Spring Festival Gala production team. But now, Chi Ye is indeed resourceful. He directly recommended an actor to fill the gap, which can be considered an emergency rescue.

The Spring Festival Gala gave Ikeno some face and didn't say much.

Chicken Claw Zhang certainly wouldn't go to the Spring Festival Gala. He's been staying here busy until now, and when he realized he had nothing to do, he started observing the increasing number of guests arriving.

Teacher Zhang, Mr. Xiang, the entertainment godfather of Hong Kong, Shang Youshu, Shi Jinwei, and the national teacher... Li Qian, the bosses of several top film and television companies in the industry.

Wait a minute... isn't that the current head of Tencent Video?
There's also the boss of KuYing, the deputy director of Hunan TV, Director Li, and General Manager Gong of Kiwi...

My goodness, the more Zhang looked at Chicken Claw, the bigger his mouth got. Suddenly, he felt that the spot under his butt today was truly precious and priceless.

The people he just saw were only a small group; there were many more tonight, and they were still arriving in droves.

How many big shots are coming today?
……

The parking lot outside the cinema.

"Boss, there are no seats available. I'll go down and negotiate."

Inside a very ordinary black Hongqi car, the driver, wearing white gloves, was preparing to get out of the car to negotiate with the parking lot manager.

"No need, just find a parking space on the side of the road. If there isn't one, we can park in a nearby shopping mall."

The people in the back waved their hands and said with a smile, "We agreed that today is just for watching a movie, no special treatment allowed." (End of Chapter)