I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 412, The Approaching TV Series Schedule: Let the Movie Bullets Fly for a While
At this time, there were films such as "Dying to Survive," "Let the Bullets Fly," and "The Last Supper."

While these three works were still fiercely competing, Li Xuan was having dinner at his 'future mother-in-law's' house.
Liu Yifei nestled comfortably in Li Xuan's arms.

Liu Lili couldn't help but comment on this.

"Are you that cold?"

"Winter in Beiping is very cold."

“I know,” Liu Lili paused, then said, “You’re really underestimating me.”

"We're all so familiar with each other, wouldn't it be better to be more honest, Aunt Liu?"

Li Xuan smiled slightly, looking at the Cantonese salted chicken and sweet tofu pudding that had been served.
"It seems Aunt Liu went to Guangdong before."

"Yes, I went there for work."

"its not bad, right."

"I went to Mount Luofu, it was great."

Li Xuan and Liu Lili chatted away, while Liu Yifei listened intently, her mouth watering at the sight of the table full of food.
It was the taste of 'happiness,' a happiness I had never experienced before.

My mother used to not know how to cook, so we always hired a housekeeper because she was very busy with work. Later, she learned to cook Western food, then she experienced Chinese festivals, and now she likes Chinese food. Her mouth is no longer filled with 'work'.

In fact, Liu Yifei understands all of this.

Although her mother wasn't perfect, and even had a bad personality, being a bit snobbish—character traits she disliked the most—she couldn't bring herself to hate her.

Why does she work so hard and climb the ladder? It's all for the 'future'.

It is one's own future
Only after she settled down did she begin to consider her future and her preferences.

It was also her mother's approval of her, when she felt that she was capable of taking control of her own future.
"Thank you, Brother Li."

"Thank me for what?"

"Um, thank you."

At this moment, Liu Lili, who was standing nearby, saw it clearly and felt a sense of happiness emanating from her daughter.
She suddenly looked at this thing that she was no longer qualified for, or even able to have.
Undeniably, my personality makes it impossible for me to find happiness by relying on the instinct of 'love'.

But his daughter was lucky.

She chose Li Xuan based on her capacity for 'love,' and Li Xuan indeed possessed the 'ability' to bring happiness to her daughter.

She watched Li Xuan grow step by step to where he is today, from an unknown student to someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants of the era, and with a behemoth like Jiang Wen.

You have to understand, that was Jiang Wen, one of the top directors of this era. To this day, Liu Lili still doesn't know how to surpass that "Feast at Hongmen" scene.

If I had to say, Lu Chuan's "The Last Supper" doesn't even do a scene of the "Feast at Hongmen" as well as "Let the Bullets Fly."
The director reached the pinnacle of 'entertainment' – a true master.
However, Li Xuan has now achieved a level where he can keep pace with such a monster.

Perhaps, it's the man my daughter chose.

He has both the formidable ability and the resources to achieve this.

Perhaps he really can stand at the very top in the country?
At least, Liu Lili was truly impressed by Li Xuan's unique narrative perspective and way of thinking.

Rooted in the earth.

Perhaps his humble origins do indeed give him an advantage in the domestic film and television market.
The advantage of being rooted in the masses.

Unparalleled empathy, and the influence of his unique ideas.
'Change'

Perhaps his work can 'change' many things?

Even the most talented director would find it difficult to achieve this.
At this moment, Liu Lili was thinking about it, but she shook her head—it was too far away.

However, things are not bad for now.

These days, before the movie season even ends, the TV series season is already starting.

Wang Shuo personally took charge of the publicity and distribution process for "The Human World" in order to counter Li Xuan's "The Age of Awakening".

At this moment, Zheng Long said with a ferocious expression.

"We can't let Li Xuan continue like this. He's really too dangerous. We can't let his fame continue to grow."

"Dying to Survive" overshadowed "The Last Supper" in the first wave of releases.

While it cannot be guaranteed that Li Xuan can continue to suppress "The King's Feast".

But the quality of Li Xuan's work—to be honest, even Wang Shuo was speechless after seeing it.

At this level, the kind of achievements one can attain depends on whether there is resonance.
Lu Chuan couldn't understand it because he had never been poor; he could only sense the techniques and some of the underlying principles.

Wang Suo is different. As a 'first generation'.

He had experienced hardship.
Even for children of high-ranking officials, life wasn't that great back then.

"What can you do? We have no choice but to let 'The World' confront him head-on."

“It’s tough for us to beat them, but American TV series can easily beat them.” Zheng Long pondered for a moment, “This year is another great year for American TV series, with many good ones, and they all have intellectual content. Why are you looking at me?”

At this moment, Wang Su fell silent.

The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Fringe, and Mad Men.

There are quite a few strong American TV series this year, all of which are extremely popular among young people.

If it can be utilized, it can be used to transform a didactic film like "The Age of Awakening".
Currently, "The Awakening Age" has both obvious strengths and weaknesses. If it were adapted from an American TV series, its ratings would definitely be squeezed.

correct.

Wang Su also felt that this was the most rational approach.

but.

"I reject."

"That's not dignified."

"I would feel ashamed if we used foreign devils to fight our own people."

“Although I don’t have any bottom line, there are some things that are better left unsaid. Besides, our ‘Human World’ might just be able to rival Li Xuan’s work. A literary masterpiece by a professor from the Chinese University of Beiping, it seems to have a more delicate and ‘down-to-earth’ original source material to support it. Moreover, with that up-and-coming Hong Kong screenwriter helping us, we have a great advantage.” Wang Su paused and said, “Sometimes I actually feel that ‘Human World’ is more like something written by Li Xuan than ‘The Age of Awakening’.”

Zheng Long also fell silent.
There was no response to Wang Su's words.

Perhaps feeling guilty, they realized that what Wang Suo said made some sense.
But the same
Some things, some people's opinions, are different.
Things you think you can lose are different.
But after hesitating for a moment, Zheng Long still spoke.

"Some objective things cannot be changed according to our will. This is true for Zhang Mouzi, and it is also true for Li Xuan, isn't it?"

“Actually, we’re so familiar with each other, you didn’t need to hide your purpose for coming here for so long.”

“I haven’t hidden anything, I really did come for Li Xuan, to see his movie.” Liu Meizhen paused and then said, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything else to do, does it?”

Only then did Wang Lei realize that Liu Meizhen's visit this time was not solely for 'Li Xuan'.

Is Li Xuan just a cover?
Or let's talk about something else.

Liu Meizhen smiled faintly.

"By importing Hollywood productions, you can increase your profits significantly. If movies can do this, why can't TV series?"

No Hollywood movies were released during this period.

However, the TV series has already been agreed to be translated into Chinese and aired late at night.

Wang Lei's eyes slowly narrowed.

He stared at the smiling woman in front of him, Liu Meizhen.

Importing Hollywood productions.

If movies can do this, why can't TV series?
What a convenient "why not!"

Wang Lei sneered inwardly.

The film market is a battleground of titans, where everyone relies on their own abilities, and it has long since become a fiercely competitive red ocean.

However, the television drama market, especially the prime-time slot, has long been a private domain for Chinese-language creators.

Now, what Liu Meizhen has to do is let the wolves into this private plot of land.

It's still in the late-night slot. A seemingly insignificant time slot, yet it can precisely target young audiences.

Hollywood TV shows are coming to raid our home.

"Mr. Wang."

Looking at Wang Lei's expressionless face, Liu Meizhen's smile deepened.

"You don't seem very happy?"

Wang Lei remained silent.

Liu Meizhen picked up the teacup in front of her and gently blew on the steam. The sound was soft, but it was like a needle piercing her with precision.

Shouldn't you be happy?

"Hmm?" Wang Lei raised his eyelids slightly.

"I've heard that you and that director Li Xuan have a betting agreement."

Liu Meizhen put down her teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked at him with a playful and inquisitive gaze.

"If Li Xuan's 'The Age of Awakening' performs well during this period, it could boost the success of 'Dying to Survive'."

"Now, with shows like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad drawing away younger viewers in the late-night slot, he must be under a lot of pressure, right?"

"You know, in the past, movies were mostly pirated and streamed online, unlike now where they're directly included in the regular website schedules. The barrier to entry for watching them has been greatly lowered. Although a lot of things have been cut, it's not a big problem."

"Isn't this fantastic news for your betting scheme?"

Every word she said seemed to gently pluck a string in Wang Lei's heart.

Yes.

He had a bet with Li Xuan.

If Li Xuan loses, I will win the priority investment rights for his future works.

From a purely businessman's perspective, he should be happy to see anything that could cause trouble for Li Xuan.

A slight expression finally appeared on Wang Lei's face.

It was a very soft, cold laugh coming from the back of his throat.

"Ah……"

Liu Meizhen raised an eyebrow, seemingly waiting for him to continue.

"President Liu, you see things very clearly."

Wang Lei leaned back on the sofa, his whole body relaxed, but his eyes were even sharper than before.

“That’s right, I have a bet with Li Xuan, and I really want to win.”

"but……"

"And I don't think I'll lose..."

"But don't think that just because you've brought out Hollywood stuff, you can easily dominate this release window."

For the first time, the smile on Liu Meizhen's face froze.

"Oh? Mr. Wang has that much confidence in our Chinese-language TV dramas?"

"It's not that I have confidence in Chinese-language TV dramas."

Wang Lei shook his head.

He was well aware that, in terms of industrial standards, production precision, and even the maturity of the script, domestic TV dramas still lagged behind top Hollywood productions.

This is a fact, and there's no need to deny it.

"I have confidence in people."

Wang Lei's voice turned somber.

"Times have changed, Mr. Liu."

"The audience has changed too."

"The era when big stars and big productions could easily rake in viewership ratings is over."

"Today's audiences, especially young people, want content that resonates with them and makes them think."

"Hollywood TV series are very good, but they tell American stories, their culture, and their dilemmas."

Liu Meizhen listened quietly without interrupting.

Wang Lei's gaze seemed to penetrate the office and see into the distance.

"But we have our own geniuses."

His tone carried a pride that even he himself was unaware of.

"Don't forget, besides Li Xuan, there's another person scheduled for this time."

"Shengchang".

When Wang Lei uttered the name, Liu Meizhen's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

“Sheng Chang’s ‘The World’ and Li Xuan’s ‘The Age of Awakening’.”

Wang Lei's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resonant.

"These are the two most cutting-edge and content-savvy talents in the Chinese film and television industry, who have both presented their most important works during this period."

Wang Lei smiled.

This time, it was a genuine smile, tinged with a hint of disdain.

"President Liu, you underestimate them, and you also underestimate our generation of viewers."

"Li Xuan, he comes from humble beginnings. The things he films naturally have a rustic feel and a certain energy, which grows from this land and can directly penetrate the hearts of every ordinary person. His ability to empathize is extraordinary."

"Sheng Chang, though mysterious, has top-notch control over texts and understanding of the pulse of the times. Why does Wang Shuo support him so much? Because he sees in Sheng Chang's works a charm that he can appreciate and resonate with."

"Whether it's the New World or Parasites, you know about it."

"These two people..."

Wang Lei paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"He is a person who can usher in a new era."

"Do you think the zombies in 'The Walking Dead' would give you this? Or the drug dealers in 'Breaking Bad'?"

A long silence fell over the office.

The smile on Liu Meizhen's face had completely vanished.

She looked at Wang Lei in front of her.

indeed.

In the Chinese-speaking world, there are people like Li Xuan and Sheng Chang.

Hollywood's industrial development has reached its zenith.

And 'talent'.

Liu Meizhen then picked up the cup of tea, which had already cooled slightly.

Her face returned to its usual calm and composed expression.

"What Mr. Wang said makes a lot of sense."

She took a small sip of tea.

"Then let's wait and see, and see what emerging talents and mature industrial giants will bring in this most direct period."

(End of this chapter)