Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 484 The truth comes to light?

The cast and crew of this version of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" underwent some adjustments due to filming being done two years earlier and Lu Kuan's involvement.

Among the main characters:

Li Xuejian, who was playing the village chief, was replaced by Grandpa Benshan, who made the deal, because he was in the recovery period after surgery.

The latter's acting in "Getting Home" was outstanding, or rather, the basic skills and performance ability of a veteran comedian have always been exceptional.

Wang Jingsong, Xiao Liu's homeroom teacher at the Beijing Film Academy, plays Director Li in the film. Director Li is an administrative leader at Jingqiu's school and is a symbolic supporting character who drives the historical context, representing the interference of the political censorship system in personal life.

Besides Liu Yifei, the supporting actress Wei Hong, who has a significant role, is played by actress Tong Liya from Wenjie. Her exotic appearance also provides more room for background creation for this character.

Chang Lin, a character set in a rural area, is played by Wang Baoqiang. Filming for "Lost in Thailand" wrapped up at the end of September, and he will soon join the cast.

In addition, Sun Haiyin, who played the father of the third son in the original film, and Lü Lipin, who played the mother of Wei Hong, were both replaced.

The father of the third son invited Bao Guoan to make a cameo appearance, and the mother of Wei Hong invited Song Chunli to star in the film.

(From left to right: Wang Jingsong/Song Chunli/Bao Guoan)
With the cast adjusted to this point, Liu Yifei, one of the most popular actresses in China, is now in the lineup and is also a leading figure among the new generation of actresses.
The half-popular male star, Washing Machine, relies on his wife's popularity to gain recognition, but his professional skills are particularly outstanding, excelling in both directing and acting;

In addition to the veteran actors, including Xi Meijuan, and those whose roles were adjusted after discussions between Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou, the overall cast of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" is both popular and talented.

It might be a bit tough for Tong Liya, but her role is relatively small; she plays a female classmate of Jingqiu who gets pregnant unexpectedly and is then abandoned.

On the afternoon of October 3rd, Zhao Benshan and Wang Jingsong were the first to arrive at the set, and Tong Liya also arrived early to learn. Other actors had not yet arrived because Xiao Liu's scenes were moved up.

After wrapping up work in the evening, to welcome the arrival of several new actors and to reward the team that had been working non-stop for a week, the crew specially organized an open-air barbecue dinner at the Yuanshan Hotel, which they had booked.

Assistant director Zhang Mo received a notification in the afternoon and, along with several production assistants, purchased ingredients from the villagers.

Liu Xiaoli is now very concerned about her daughter's diet. She wants to ensure that her daughter gets enough nutrition while avoiding her becoming "plump and healthy" too early, otherwise she won't be able to play the role of the slender Jingqiu.

At 7 p.m., the hotel staff and film crew had already started their barbecue. The elderly mother carefully inspected each item, and the organic, pollution-free ingredients purchased from the village did indeed look quite good.

The ingredient list fully reflects the seasonal characteristics of the western Hubei mountainous region:
The local free-range pork, cut into thin slices with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, is roasted until it sizzles and drips with oil.
The crucian carp caught fresh from the stream are simply marinated with salt and Sichuan peppercorns, and are at their most tender when the skin is crispy.

The bamboo baskets were piled with freshly picked purple eggplants, green peppers, and corn cobs from the vegetable garden, still glistening with dew. The most popular item was the smoked sausage made by the village chief, smoked with pine branches and orange peel, the oil releasing a pine aroma over the charcoal fire.

High-quality ingredients paired with the simplest cooking methods, and then cooked with local traditional rapeseed oil, create an aroma that wafts straight into everyone's nose.

Liu Xiaoli went downstairs for a walk and returned to her hotel room to get a vest for her daughter. She ran into the two of them who had changed their clothes and were about to go out.

The elderly mother beamed with joy: "If you ask me, having a baby here might not be any worse than in Beiping."

“You two work happily during the day, eating all kinds of pollution-free ingredients. The environment here is not polluted. I see that Qianqian’s complexion is even better than before this week.”

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "The air quality in the capital has indeed dropped a lot since the Olympics ended. I called Zhuang Xu a few days ago and he mentioned that there is a layer of dust on the window sill of the Wenjie Building office every day."

He gently hugged his wife: "Xiao Liu grew up in Hubei Province. Now it's a chance for her to experience the air and environment of her mother's childhood."

Liu Xiaoli unfolded the cashmere vest and draped it over her daughter: "You're right! These wild hawthorn trees all over the mountain, this clear stream, it's so nourishing!"

"Hurry downstairs, I'm so hungry! I'll eat a little more today to treat myself and the baby in my belly!" Liu Yifei was already quite impatient.

The courtyard of Yuanshan Hotel has become lively.

Xiao Liu, with her sharp eyes, linked arms with Lu Kuan and walked toward Wang Jingsong from the Class of 02, saying, "Teacher Wang, you're here?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jingsong, who had a bald patch on his forehead, turned around and said, "Oh, Yi Fei! It's been so long since I've seen you. Have you forgotten about your teacher?"

Speaking of which, this "rubber band player," who is currently the vice dean of the Performance Academy at Beijing Film Academy, felt a bit like he was in another world when he saw Xiao Liu again after three years.

Three years ago, the "Empress Yi Incident" shocked the Chinese entertainment industry. Wang Jingsong then received a call from the female student who said she wanted to graduate early and go to the United States.

He naturally did his best in the operation, and also witnessed the "confrontation" between the young couple at the latter's defense ceremony, which now seems more like the interaction of young people.

In just three years, she went from dating and getting married to becoming a Berlin Film Festival Best Actress winner and the wife of a billionaire. Such changes seem incredible to outsiders.

"Teacher Wang, I sent you a text message on your birthday, okay? Isn't this a bit unfair?"

"Haha, just kidding." Wang Jingsong then turned to the man beside her, shook hands with him, and exchanged pleasantries: "Director Lu, it's a pleasure to finally have the opportunity to work together this time!"

Mr. Lu said politely, "Teacher Wang, please give Xiao Liu more guidance. Although she has graduated, there is still room for improvement in her professional skills."

"Sigh! What else can I guide her on? We've already taught her everything we need to at school. From here on, it's all up to the children's own talent and practice."

Old Wang clicked his tongue in praise, showering her with compliments: "Regardless of anything else, Yi Fei's top-tier talent for perseverance and hard work is rarely seen in schools these days."

"Oh right, Jing Tian counts too."

Wang Jingsong was the head teacher of the class of 02, the same class as Liu Yifei. Classes are held every four years, and the next class will be the class of 06.

In her previous life, Jing Tian enrolled in 07. In this life, due to Lu Kuan's influence, she completed her internship at the Beijing Film Academy in 06 after working on the "Sky of History" drama series, and thus became Wang Jingsong's student.

In a sense, she also became Xiao Liu's "double junior sister".

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei have never been pretentious. The couple strolled around the courtyard, chatting and laughing with everyone, creating a warm atmosphere on set.

Xiao Liu said proudly to the washing machine, "I never thought I'd have such a day when everyone praises me! Back in the 'The Story of a Noble Family' crew, I was almost bullied to death."

"Are you enjoying yourself now? You're fawned over wherever you go."

"Still not enough," Liu Yifei teased. "From childhood to adulthood, those who praise me either say I'm good-looking or that I work hard, just like Teacher Wang just now."

"I really want people to praise me as a genius or talented, like you."

Mr. Lu smiled to himself, thinking to himself that he was no genius at all; there were very few people in this world who were born with knowledge.

Even if I transmigrated, without the early exposure to art and the professional practice and accumulation during my undergraduate and master's degrees in my previous life, how could I have achieved what I have today?

Lu Kuan hugged his wife and said, "At your age, it's probably too late to become a genius, but we can give birth to one."

"Ha ha!"

Director Zhang Yimou and other members of the directing team had just finished a meeting and taken care of the cleanup work for today's filming, so they came downstairs.

Mr. Lu was quite happy to join the crew this time, as he only needed to take care of his own role. His duties as a producer were also handled by a professional production manager from the industry.

Working in such a beautiful, unpolluted place, with no work pressure, is almost like a vacation.

Zhang Yimou, Zhao Xiaoding, Zhang Mo, Liu Xiaoli, and Lu Kuan and his wife, along with several veteran actors from the film, including Xi Meijuan, Zhao Benshan, and Wang Jingsong, all sat at the main table. Xiao Liu thoughtfully called Tong Liya over as well.

"Directors and teachers, this is Xiaotong from Wenjie."

Tong Liya is no longer the timid girl she was when she first debuted a few years ago; she stood up confidently and greeted everyone.

Zhang Yimou also gave him face: "Xiao Tong has a good image and temperament. Talented people emerge from the world."

"Thank you, Director. Let me pour everyone some wine." Tong Liya smiled and picked up a sample of "Qingyang Wine" from the local Daohuaxiang Winery in Hubei Province.

The chef hired from outside prepared some specialty dishes, and with the addition of barbecue made from local ingredients, the crew quickly started eating and chatting.

Zhang Weiping smelled the aroma of the wine and glanced at the packaging. He was a connoisseur: "Yimou, this wine isn't cheap."

"This is a local wine from Hubei Province, brought by Teacher Zhao. It costs seven or eight hundred yuan a bottle. The crew is just offering it to him today."

These days, domestic liquor brands are all moving towards the mid-to-high-end market, with the high-end segment continuing to climb. Moutai has even launched the "National Liquor Project," significantly increasing its advertising spending on CCTV.

Suzhou's Mengzhilan launched M9, Luzhou's 1573 raised its price, and Wuliangye's Puwu upgraded its packaging to a crystal cap. Local liquors naturally followed suit and embraced the blue ocean market.

Boss Lu has been tested on alcohol for two lifetimes, but he has never seen such a quick-to-appear and quick-to-disappear type of alcohol. He looked at Zhao Benshan and joked, "Teacher Zhao brought alcohol into the crew, which is much more elegant than bringing us, who brought money into the crew."

Zhao Benshan waved his hand dismissively, "Haha! What you're saying, Mr. Lu, is quite something. Even if you don't bring anything, who in the domestic film industry wouldn't be looking forward to working with you?"

Zhang Yimou, playing the straight man, said, "That makes sense."

"To be honest, this week of filming was also a very novel experience in my career."

He raised his glass and clinked it with Boss Lu's: "With Xiao Lu around, we can come up with a lot of ideas and thoughts every day. Yi Fei is also very outstanding."

"Actually, this kind of work is quite enjoyable, haha."

Boss Lu raised his glass and downed it in one gulp: "Who can argue with that? Working during the day, taking a stroll in the beautiful countryside after work, and making money on the side—it's wonderful!"

Zhang Weiping has become much more compliant lately: "You'd have to be at the same level as Boss Lu to do that. Other actors don't have it so easy."

Xiao Liu glanced at Zhang Weiping without making a sound; she knew that Wenjie coveted Zhang Yimou.

The collaboration between the two can ensure Zhang Yimou's creative freedom and quality, and prevent the already limited number of top domestic directors from going astray due to external factors.
For Wenjie, this also means another top-tier director with significant influence in the domestic directing circle.

The terrible movie "A Simple Noodle Story" has been shelved, and the previous movie "Curse of the Golden Flower" was adapted with the intervention of a time traveler and received good reviews.

By a twist of fate, Zhang Yimou lost the first-place honor of being the chief director of the opening ceremony in this life, but the junior from the Beijing Film Academy whom he befriended never treated him unfairly.

It can be considered a friendship between gentlemen.

What frustrated Mr. Lu was that Zhang Weiping was becoming more and more like a sycophant who knew how to seize opportunities.

How exactly can we find his weakness and make Zhang Yimou see his selfish and profit-driven nature?

This is also what Xiao Liu, who was silently watching the show at the table, found quite interesting.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Benshan went to the next table and brought back a young man and a young woman. The old comedian, who was thoroughly enjoying his drink, put his arm around one of his apprentices' shoulders.

"Director Zhang, Director Lu, let me introduce my two apprentices. The girl is called Ya Dan and the boy is called Xiao Shenyang. They just appeared in 'Country Love 2' this year."

Old Zhao laughed and said, "Don't let their rustic appearance fool you, these two kids are amazing. Xiao Shenyang sings exceptionally well, and Ya Dan's 'Little New Year's Greeting' even won a gold medal in folk art in Northeast China. They came with me specifically to meet the great director and all the teachers."

He patted the two men on the shoulder lightly: "Toast them, quick!"

Apart from Lu Kuan, probably no one present knew that these two would become famous throughout the country after appearing on the Spring Festival Gala three months later.

Given the "bad habits" of drinking parties in China, it's impossible to simply sweep one's leg to deal with a junior like them who come to toast and get acquainted with you. They immediately start drinking one cup after another in circles.

At this moment, Ya Dan and Xiao Shenyang did indeed look somewhat young and timid, humbly toasting each of the important figures at the table.

For Errenzhuan performers from humble backgrounds who have not yet become famous, Zhang Weiping, Zhang Yimou, Lu Kuan, and Liu Yifei are all considered big names.

Wang Jingsong and the others gave Zhao Benshan face, getting up to exchange a few pleasantries and drink, generally maintaining a friendly attitude.

Zhang Weiping felt somewhat resentful.

While others hadn't noticed, when Zhao Benshan introduced them, he referred to them as "Director Lu" and "Director Zhang," showing considerable disdain for him, the boss of New Pictures.

In addition, there were some minor unpleasant incidents during the recent process of establishing the "Benshan Art School Master's Program"—

So when the two men came over to offer their toasts, the stench of so-called "superiors" began to emanate from them.

"You two kids, there are rules for toasting, aren't there?"

"Holding the wine bottle, you must stand to the right of the leader and pour the wine, but don't fill it completely; the rim of the glass must be slightly lower. You folk artists... oh dear."

Ya Dan and Xiao Shenyang looked embarrassed, as they were well aware of their master's power outside Shanhaiguan.

But I really didn't know much about this boss Zhang who sat in the chair so arrogantly and bossed people around. I only knew that he was an investor of Zhang Yimou.

Worried about offending his master, Xiao Shenyang cleverly turned around, filled the glass again, respectfully gestured to him, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Ahem... I'm sorry, Mr. Zhang, we were just being tactless."

"Hey! What are you doing? I'm afraid you'll embarrass Old Zhao if you go out like this, it'll make me look like the bad guy."

Xiao Shenyang's eyes crinkled with laughter: "No way!"

Zhang Weiping finally felt the satisfaction of being in a position of power. In the past, he was the one who had the final say in his film crew, and sometimes even Zhang Yimou had to compromise on his demands.

This period of time has really made him feel incredibly frustrated.

But who would he dare to confront?
Even if Lu Kuan had two lives, he wouldn't dare, Zhang Yimou would be even less likely to, and Zhao Benshan is a man of some standing, so let's take it out on your two apprentices.

He's not a man without sense of propriety. He just had one more drink and lost some face. What deep-seated hatred could he possibly cause?
Moreover, Zhang Weiping had never been afraid of Zhao Benshan.

In his previous life, after the box office failure of "A Simple Noodle Story" in 2010, he got really angry from drinking, and he even poked Old Zhao's head with his finger after Old Zhao had just undergone interventional embolization surgery.

There is a type of person in this world who is as arrogant as a hyena when in power, and as timid as a quail when out of power.

Liu Yifei was eating vegetables and melons at the same time, and with a wicked sense of humor, she was guessing how the washing machine would gradually undermine this corner of the wall.

Seeing that Ya Dan was also hurriedly drinking another glass of wine, the two of them were flushed and dizzy from the strong liquor, and they couldn't help but feel a little disgusted with Zhang Weiping.

Zhao Benshan suddenly slammed his wine glass heavily on the table in anger:
"You can't even toast properly! All the lessons I taught you have been wasted!"

"Look at Mr. Lu, Director Zhang, and all the veteran artists at the table today. Oh, and Mr. Zhang too. Who can you possibly afford to offend?"

The wine splashed everywhere, inevitably spilling onto Zhang Weiping's trousers next door.

What made his ugly face even more contorted was that Zhao Benshan, in front of everyone, once again clearly expressed his contempt for him.

If the last time it was indeed due to his carelessness, then this time it was deliberate revenge.

The key point is that this was a master disciplining his apprentice, and it was because you, Zhang Weiping, made a mountain out of a molehill that the disciplining occurred. So how could the person involved turn against him?
Zhang Weiping's face turned bright red, and Zhang Yimou spoke up to smooth things over: "Old Zhao, you're being too harsh on your disciple. What are you doing?"

He stood up and said, "Come on, Ya Dan and... Xiao Shenyang, right? Let's have a drink. Welcome to the film crew. It'll be more lively with more people."

"Thank you! Thank you, Director Zhang, we respect you!" The two were grateful and naturally treated each other with utmost respect.

Zhao Benshan's expression softened slightly. Although his wealth and status had increased rapidly in the past two years, he had actually encountered many scoundrels like Zhang Weiping from north to south.

However, it's a bit too reckless of me to pull this stunt so soon after joining the crew, especially in front of my apprentice.

The atmosphere at the table was a bit more relaxed. When the conversation reached Liu Yifei, she smiled and waved her hand, saying, "There aren't many people drinking here. We're all from the same work unit, so you can all have a drink together."

Today, the lady of the house spoke up in front of outsiders, taking the lead as the head of the household. Mr. Lu understood her good intentions and naturally complied.

"How about this, Xiao Tong, you come too." Lu Kuan then smiled at Zhao Benshan and said, "Teacher Zhao, let's not stand on ceremony. Pour some wine for Wenjie and your Benshan Media to have a drink together."

"Haha! That's great!" Zhao Benshan knew, of course, that he was using his wife's words to lower his stance and flatter himself.

Especially after Zhang Weiping made a mountain out of a molehill.

However, since the sedan chair was carried by many people and the road was wide, and Liu Yifei and her husband were kind and righteous, I couldn't be indifferent.

Zhao Benshan immediately switched from a small wine glass to a glass, just like his apprentice: "President Lu, I appreciate your help with the matter at Liaoning University Benshan Art Academy last time."

"If you're going to say that, then wasn't it all thanks to your support, Teacher Zhao, that Alipay was able to reach beyond Shanhaiguan?"

"Haha, then I'll be polite to you too, I'll toast you."

Boss Lu knew that Zhao Benshan was showing off his friendship with him in front of everyone, but he was happy to play along.

Firstly, dealing with a seasoned veteran like Zhao Benshan, who values ​​morality, is less stressful. Secondly, it's also to provoke Zhang Weiping and encourage this ugly fellow to continue causing trouble.

Liu Yifei took a sip of cool water, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Zhang Weiping, who dared not speak his anger. Zhang Weiping's face was ashen, and he was practically on the verge of storming off. But to leave in such a huff now would be a clear slap in the face.

The group continued to chat and laugh for a long time before Zhang Weiping, feeling awkward, finally said in a muffled voice, "Everyone, please enjoy your meal and drinks. I have an urgent phone call to make."

Everyone responded with normal expressions, except for Zhang Yimou, who got up and saw them off a few steps, and the two seemed to have chatted about something.

Watching Zhang Weiping walk away, looking slightly excited in the night, Liu Yifei leaned close to Boss Lu's ear and whispered, "You're still a bit short. The main problem is that you're too scary. Even a big dog would bristle in fear."

"No rush, simmer it slowly." Lu Kuan smiled and whispered a riddle to her, leaving Tong Liya, who was standing next to him, completely bewildered.

The key to the so-called "sowing discord" between the two Zhangs lies with Zhang Yimou.

They were determined to force Zhang Weiping to the point where Zhang Yimou could no longer tolerate it, and that Zhang was no longer a like-minded partner, or that the matter involved his private affairs of having more children than allowed. Only then would the meal be considered truly settled.

It was getting late, so Boss Lu picked up his glass and stood up: "Everyone, Xiao Liu is a little tired from filming. Let's go back and rest first. You can continue."

Xi Meijuan and the others also said they were leaving, and everyone politely greeted them as they saw them off.

Zhao Benshan did indeed walk a few extra steps to see them off, and the group stopped in a corner of the hotel courtyard.

"Mr. Lu, thank you for just now."

"We've already drunk the wine, why thank me? But did you have a conflict with Zhang Weiping before?"

Zhao Benshan frowned and said, "Actually, it's not really. I asked him to help me with the application for a master's program at the art college, but it just hasn't been successful yet."

"He took the opportunity to ask me to make a cameo appearance in Zhang Yimou's movie, and I agreed. In the end, things still went my own way, and he probably felt that I didn't find him a middleman."

"In the end, everyone in the organization knows who made the contact. I really can't ask him for that favor."

Lu Kuan hadn't expected this turn of events: "Then I'll ask you to make this movie..."

"That's different. I'm only doing this because of Director Zhang's influence. He needs me to use my old face, so there's no question about it."

Zhao Benshan grinned, his face crinkling with laughter: "Later, it was Director Lu who invited me, and I was even happier. We hadn't had a chance to get closer since our last meal together. It's so nice to see people like us getting along so well!"

Liu Yifei chimed in, "Teacher Zhao, are those two apprentices you were just showing up for the Spring Festival Gala?"

"Yes! Director Lu, your wife is so smart and kind-hearted. Ya Dan was just praising her to me."

The group first met at the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal in 2004. At that time, Zhao Benshan asked Boss Lu to intercede and ask him to let the ignorant Dong Bailian off the hook.

Zhao Benshan remarked, "Our Liu Laogen Grand Stage on Qianmen East Street has been renovated, and we are currently discussing when it will officially open."

"It's not easy to live in Beijing. Although the folk art troupe performed three times at the Great Hall of the People last year, it seemed to be very successful, with each performance sold out."

"But I still want to use the Spring Festival Gala to bring these two kids out into the public eye, so that people all over the country can get to know them, and so that there will be some stars to hold up the scene in Beijing in the future."

Old Zhao joked, "To be honest, I just brought them here today to get to know you, Boss Lu, and Director Zhang. Hopefully, they'll become familiar with you and maybe even show their support someday. I didn't expect to run into this blockhead, heh!"

Zhao Benshan made his first fortune in coal mining, but he also had a keen business sense and keen business acumen.

With the success of his personal brand building, he repackaged and promoted traditional folk arts such as Errenzhuan and folk operas that were not originally considered respectable.

The measures taken included, but were not limited to, promotion on local stages, the establishment of the Benshan Art School affiliated with Liaoning University, and the most important step—

From a small workshop where masters taught apprentices, it has transformed into a formal company like "Benshan Media".

Among them, Liu Laogen Grand Stage is the main business of "Benshan Media", which integrates theater performances, film and television promotion and talent training chain.

Similar to the internal operations of Wenjie, he packaged Errenzhuan actors through popular TV series such as "Liu Laogen" and "Country Love", and then used their popularity to attract audiences to the theater, forming a closed loop of "promoting people through film and television and monetizing through theater".

In 2007 alone, his revenue from performances at Liu Laogen Grand Stage across the country exceeded 100 million yuan.

Both being niche performing arts, Deyun Club had just acquired Tianqiao Lechayuan and renamed it "Deyun Club Theater" in April of that year.

Similar to Wanda's journey from Dalian, Liaoning to Beiping, for Zhao Benshan, the journey from Tieling, Liaoning to Beiping was also an inevitable path in building his own cultural media group.

He agreed to make a cameo appearance in the movie and went to great lengths to use his connections to promote Wenjie Mall's payment system in Northeast China. Wasn't he also secretly planning to "collude" with Boss Lu?

The shrewd and capable Liu Yifei said, "Teacher Zhao, when the Grand Stage in Beiping opens, could you send me some good tickets? I'll get some celebrities to come and support you."

"Oops! I just said the wrong thing." Zhao Benshan looked regretful. "Actually, the main reason I came here was to introduce my two apprentices to Yi Fei and let them see the charm of the most popular actress in mainland China!"

Boss Lu joked, "It has to be an old artist. He can lie without batting an eye. My feet are getting numb from all the effort."

"Hahaha!"

"Okay, Mr. Zhao, before you open, please tell the directors and actors on this side of the industry that if they can come to support us, please do so."

"As for any promotion needs on Weibo and Wenjie Video, just have your people contact Yang Siwei, and I'll have her take care of it for you."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhao almost wanted to drag him back for another drink and reminisce. He gripped Boss Lu's hand tightly: "Boss Lu, let's not talk about anything else, I'll just give you one guarantee—"

"As long as I'm in Northeast China, I'll handle all the official stuff there for you. I'll make sure that Wenjie Mall and Payment are running smoothly and without any rivals."

Goodness, the age difference between the father and son has made them look like brothers.

Zhao Benshan had a really nice chat with the young couple tonight, and now he's completely focused on his "Beijing strategy" for Liu Laogen Grand Stage.

Then she turned to Xiao Liu and said, "Yi Fei, from now on, I will have someone deliver the tickets to you or to Wenjie every month. They will be the best seats and the best treatment. These tickets are not sold online; they are reserved specifically for friends and family."

The so-called relatives and friends are just for public relations or to do favors for leaders.

For officials who value pomp and circumstance, tickets that everyone can buy are not rare, no matter how expensive they are.

The VIP tickets that are sent by Zhao Benshan and would never be traded only highlight the high-class status of the ticket.

After all, if we use a vague and ambiguous indicator like "national popularity" to assess popularity, Zhao Benshan's "national popularity" is much higher than Xiao Liu's.

Just look at the Spring Festival Gala's ratings, not to mention that a large portion of the audience watches it specifically because of it.

"Then I'll thank Teacher Zhao on behalf of all the directors and actors in the industry, haha."

Xiao Liu turned her head and suddenly noticed that her husband's expression was very strange.

What he said was even stranger: "Are tickets for Liu Laogen Grand Stage also sold online?"

Following the Beijing People's Art Theatre, this is the second "online ticketing" business case he has heard about recently, which piqued his curiosity.

Zhao Benshan was taken aback, not knowing how the topic had veered off course. He answered truthfully, "We can't do without the internet. We have a lot of ticketing problems in other cities, and it must be even more complicated in Beijing."

"It's a happy problem, you could say. If we don't put most of the tickets online, we'd need at least three or four ticket operators. Not only would the queues be too long on-site, but scalpers would also be a constant nuisance."

"Moreover, unlike other cities, a significant portion of the audience at the Grand Stage in Beiping are tourists who don't have time to queue up to buy tickets on-site. At the Grand Stage in Dalian, we directly include the ticket price in the packages for many tour groups."

This was actually the norm in later generations. Many tourists who went to Tianjin and Beiping wanted to see Deyun Club, which can be considered a type of tourism scene.

Who is responsible for the online ticketing system for that grand stage?

Old Zhao scratched his head: "Last time I heard the general manager report that we were still in talks, and there should be several companies in contact. Mr. Lu, what's going on?"

"Just out of curiosity," Lu Kuan said with a smile. "If you have any news, let me know if it's convenient. Wenjie also has some plans for online ticketing, and we'll do some market research."

Zhao Benshan readily agreed: "No problem, is this even a problem?"

It was almost time, so Lu Kuan and his wife said goodbye to Zhao Benshan. The latter slapped his forehead and said, "I almost forgot the important thing. I saw that Xiao Liu wasn't feeling well a few days ago, so I asked someone to bring some local specialties from his hometown in Northeast China. I'll bring them to your room later."

After saying that, he waved his hand and turned to leave: "I've had too much to drink and I'm going for a walk. You two go back."

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei looked at each other in bewilderment until they ran into Liu Xiaoli on their way back to their room.

"Xiao Lu, Qian Qian, come and take a look." The old mother called out, "Teacher Zhao's two apprentices just brought over a bunch of things with some people. I was just thinking of asking you what's going on."

The room contained "local specialties" that Zhao Benshan had sent over.

Open-shell pine nuts, hickory nuts, linden wood ear fungus, and several large jars of linden honey.

"Teacher Zhao is very perceptive; she guessed that Qianqian is pregnant, didn't she?" Liu Xiaoli peeled a few pine nuts and handed them to her daughter.

Liu Xiaoli's hometown is in Northeast China. Aren't these all for supplementing nutrition for pregnant women?

It's a relatively mild form of dietary supplement, the kind that's beneficial and harmless for normal people.

Xiao Liu took the pine nuts, and with a gentle pinch of his fingertips, the plump kernels rolled out of their brown shells.

"Mmm! It's delicious." A refreshing pine aroma bursts on the taste buds, and a subtle sweetness of oil seeps out when you bite into it.

Lu Kuan laughed and asked, "Are these all for pregnant women in Northeast China?"

“Back then, we didn’t have many nutritional supplements, so these were all natural and good things.”

Recently, because her daughter is pregnant, Liu Xiaoli has been cramming on nutrition. She analyzed: "Wild red pine nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, which promote fetal nerve development. Walnuts go without saying."

"Linden wood ear fungus is a good source of iron. When we were kids, we often had leg cramps. The elders would dry it, blanch it in hot water, and then mix it with cucumber. It was crisp and refreshing, and helped cut through the greasiness."

"There's not much to say about this honey. It's probably harvested by the local forestry farm itself. It's good for the stomach if you mix it with water."

Liu Xiaoli said with some emotion, "Teacher Zhao is thoughtful. She knows how to give gifts. These nuts are perfect as a snack for Qianqian."

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "That's how veteran artists are. They know we don't want to reveal anything right now, so they didn't mention anything when they left."

"Wow, you're like a squirrel, eating way too fast!" Boss Lu said with amusement, looking at the pile of pine nut shells on the coffee table.

"It's delicious, really delicious." Xiao Liu reluctantly put the rest back: "It's a pity I can't eat too much, it's high in fat."

"Mom, I'll leave this with you. Make me a little bit every day and take it to the film set to chew on."

Liu Xiaoli smiled and said, "Alright, I know, you guys go back and rest."

After the young couple returned to their room and took a shower, Liu Yifei sat cross-legged on the bed reading a book, while Lu Kuan was processing the daily project progress details updated by Butian Pictures.

First, there's the scientific advisory team. The production team needs to invite high-energy physics experts from universities like Tsinghua University and even the Chinese Academy of Sciences to conduct research on the spherical flash worldview and try to fill in any gaps.

Liu Cixin is, after all, just a novelist with a limited audience, but the film is intended for global distribution.

The second step is to establish a physical law document for the "Ball Flash Universe," including science fiction data and settings such as energy release thresholds and observation equipment parameters.

Aside from these preliminary tasks, the remaining work involves the special effects breakdown of core materials such as dynamic testing of macro-electronic morphology and pre-simulation of spherical flash destroying ships.

The complexity of this process is difficult for those who haven't personally experienced it to comprehend.

Let's take a very simple example: "dynamic testing of macro-electron morphology"—

The art team first had to wait for the actual video of the ion turbulence, hand-draw many versions of the macro-electron morphology, eliminate the clichéd design of the UFO-style luminous sphere, and finally finalize a structure similar to "lightning mesh core + mist halo".
Next, a low-cost live-action simulation was conducted by importing the live-action footage into Autodesk Maya software and using the system to simulate data and special effects.

However, this is only the process under ideal conditions. For a special effects company like Butian Pictures, which is far from reaching the world's top level, this process requires continuous breakthroughs in software and hardware, countless front-end and back-end renderings, and the construction of a pre-visualization system.

In conclusion, it would be quite an achievement if they could officially organize on-location, live-action filming as planned in mid-09.

Even though the process is difficult, such a technological long march is necessary and is at the forefront of the times.

Liu Yifei looked at the translated version of Melsin's manuscript at the table for a while and got a little bored. She then walked behind Lu Kuan, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and gently rested her chin on his shoulder.

The girl carried a faint fragrance after her bath, and a few strands of her hair fell down, brushing against the man's ear.

"Am I just imagining things? The snowball seems to be getting bigger and bigger."

Liu Yifei chuckled: "Even if it's big, I won't let you touch it! So you won't be unable to resist."

“Some washing machines, when they were in Argentina, seriously talked to me about the significance of sexual repression for a director’s creative work.”

"Have you ever thought you'd be able to experience this yourself so soon? Haha!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Kuan turned around, grabbed his wife's slender wrist with his right hand, and wrapped his left arm around her waist, gently pulling the girl into his embrace.

Who told you I have to suppress my feelings?

Xiao Liu let out a soft moan, and a blush instantly rose on her fair cheeks, spreading from her ears all the way to her collarbone, like rouge spreading.

The blush she wore now was no longer the shy blush of a young girl; it was the full flush of a mature body awakened by her lover.

She subconsciously bit her lower lip, but couldn't hide the shy smile at the corner of her mouth.

Unconsciously, her fingers gripped the front of Lu Kuan's shirt, and the collar of his silk pajamas slipped slightly with the movement, revealing a small patch of jade-like skin on his shoulder.

Her breathing became shallow and rapid, and her silk nightgown rose and fell noticeably with her heartbeat.

Xiao Liu, both embarrassed and anxious, pushed her husband's head away: "Don't play with fire! No! Don't eat it..."

"I know it won't work, but seeing how arrogant you were just now, I'll give you a little punishment." The warm breath from the washing machine was irresistible.

"No! Not at all!" Liu Yifei laughed and patted him on the back before getting up and crawling back into bed.

The girl glanced at Pinocchio's nose, which was now faintly visible, and said with a mischievous grin, "Look at your ugly face."

"You still want to torment me and make me suffer? You've only hurt yourself in the end, haven't you?"

Boss Lu smiled and glanced at her, then took out his phone and sent a message to his wife: [1]

"What the heck?" Liu Yifei frowned slightly as she looked at her phone.

The washing machine said seriously, "Keep it on the books? I'll add up all the provocative behavior and words you just used."

"When the crops in the fields are ripe, I will thoroughly settle accounts with you, you female landlord, inside and out. I will strictly enforce the Three Alls Policy!"

"Get out of here! Don't say such nonsense, or the child will hear it again."

Liu Yifei, lying in bed, raised an eyebrow: "From now on, you, as the father, need to be mindful of your words and actions. Prenatal education has already begun, understand?"

"Don't let your negative comments lead you astray. I went through ten months of pregnancy, only to give birth to a little washing machine. I would be devastated!"

Lu Kuan laughed heartily: "What's wrong with it?"

"It's harmless for boys, but it might be good for girls to be more vigilant."

"No big deal?" Liu Yifei snorted twice. "Are you trying to make your child fulfill your unfulfilled dreams?"

"Did I interrupt your flower-hunting adventures?"

"Shut up!" Boss Lu slammed his fist on the table in feigned anger, looking at his wife with conviction: "Liu Xiaolv, I will not allow you to slander me like this in front of the children and tarnish my glorious image!"

Liu Yifei chuckled: "Not bad, at least you know shame. There's hope for you."

"Ding ding!" Lu Kuan's phone received a message.

It was Zhao Benshan who remembered his inquiry that evening and called the general manager of "Liu Laogen Grand Stage" in Beijing late at night for his reply.

Regarding online ticketing.

(End of this chapter)