This actor has something

The outline of Chapter 333 is gradually becoming clear.
Historical facts of civilization must not be distorted, and the image of heroes must not be denigrated. If the character is original, he/she can participate in the process of major historical events, but cannot change the outcome. The above are the hard rules, and other details are subject to the review results.

In just a few words, the review mechanism for historical background information was explained in a clear manner.

He Daqi asked a few more questions about the details, which were roughly about restrictions and regulations on bloodshed, violence, negative values, and idealistic elements.

That's good, at least martial arts and internal energy aren't restricted by the element of idealism, and fantasy and supernatural tales aren't included either. This has given He Daqi quite a few ideas.

So now the question is, putting aside everything else, the visuals in Zhang Yimou's movies are definitely top-notch, after all, his level of skill is undeniable. If we want to achieve the same quality as him, we need to raise the bar in other areas.

What are the current trends? Story or special effects?
It seems that neither of these two factors alone could guarantee stability, so both need to be strengthened simultaneously.

Putting special effects aside for now, our film has been exposed, so there's no shortage of investment, and we should be able to spend a lot on special effects.

As for the story... He Daqi is a bit conflicted.

Choosing the Ming Dynasty setting allows for the inclusion of martial arts and internal energy elements, as martial arts films still have a considerable audience. Conversely, choosing the Tang Dynasty setting allows for the inclusion of supernatural tales. Both are quite appealing and can be explored in depth.

So what should we choose? Should we stick with our previous idea and choose the Ming Dynasty, or should we choose the Tang Dynasty based on the loopholes in the censorship mechanism?
"How much longer are you going to think about it? It's just a movie, we can just do it casually. At worst, we can use quantity to our advantage and release four or five movies at the same time to block the new film. Stop thinking about it, let's go back first."

Zhou Huimin was probably getting bored. After browsing Yabo.com on her phone for a while, she saw He Daqi with his eyes closed as if he were asleep, so she urged him again.

He Daqi's consciousness emerged from the film library. He opened his eyes and cheerfully reached out to pinch and tug at Zhou Huimin's cheek. After Zhou Huimin slapped his hand away, she smiled and said, "Don't rush, let me talk to Ning Hao about something first, then we'll leave."

"He Daqi! If you dare to pinch or pull my face again, I'll pour a bottle of Tiger Balm into the back of your eye while you're asleep tonight, you believe me?"

"I believe you, of course I believe you. You've reminded me that it's so hot. I'll have to soak the whip in some medicated oil to help you cool down."

After He Daqi finished speaking, he saw Zhou Huimin angrily preparing to tear him apart, so he immediately laughed and ran out of the conference room.

He glanced up as he went outside, found Ning Hao's location, and walked over with a smile.

"Senior brother, is Sister Xing not taking any jobs right now?"

"No, didn't they say they were going to film that palace chaos movie next? She's at home every day helping to polish the script." Ning Hao replied casually while operating the computer.

"Stop studying 'The Palace Melee'... no, wait... have Sister Xing extract a few of the more exciting palace scenes from 'The Palace Melee' from the script, and then stitch them together with another script. I'll have someone send you the other script tomorrow; it's also an ancient drama, set in the Ming Dynasty."

Ning Hao paused, turning his head in confusion: "The palace brawl was rejected? It didn't pass the review?"

"No, it has nothing to do with censorship. Most of our plot overlaps with Feng Xiaogang's 'The Banquet'." He Daqi shrugged.

"This is even allowed?"

"Who says it isn't?"

Ning Hao clapped his hands and said with some regret, "Oh dear, I've been having my wife help me research every day these past few days to prepare for filming, and it's all for nothing. Oh well, we'll study it again when the new script comes out. But since we're already clashing, why not just use the new script instead of stitching the two together?"

"Hmm... there must be a reason, but I can't tell you right now. I'll explain after the movie is finished and the release date is confirmed. That's all for today. I'm going back to prepare the script, and we'll talk again when the new script comes out." He Daqi smiled mysteriously, then got up and left.

“…Strange.” Ning Hao muttered under his breath as he watched He Daqi’s retreating figure.

He Daqi didn't hear Ning Hao talking about crickets, but even if he had, it wouldn't matter. There was nothing wrong with the crickets talking, and it was indeed a bit strange that he was keeping it a secret.

He accompanied Vivian Chow as they slowly took the elevator down to the underground parking garage. As soon as they got into the van, he closed his eyes, preparing to go into the film library to study the plot.

The film has been chosen: Embroidered Spring Blade.

His envisioned finished product was to extract a portion of the palace scenes from "Curse of the Golden Flower" and graft it onto "Brotherhood of Blades," with only minor changes to the roles of several characters within the palace.

Your Majesty, Queen, Prince, Palace Maid.

Tianqi, Empress, Chongzhen, Eunuch.

Not bad at all.

If this movie does well in terms of reviews and box office after its remake of "Curse of the Golden Flower," it can be turned into a series, and the other two films can be copied as well.

He Daqi has already thought of a name: the first book will be called "After My Flowers Bloom, All Others Wither: Embroidered Spring Blade".

When people hear there's a sequel, fewer people will think he's competing with Feng Xiaogang in Zhang Yimou's movies, and he can at least distance himself from the controversy.

"Hey, wake up." Zhou Huimin nudged He Daqi.

"what?"

"I just remembered, I don't think I saw Li Yixin and Yan Jiu at the company today," Zhou Huimin said, leaning over and snuggling against He Daqi's shoulder with a gossipy look.

“You’re always acting like a busybody. I asked around, and they took leave to visit the Great Wall.”

Alright, He Daqi was also talking about Zhou Huimin. Didn't he also gossip and inquire about other people's news?

Zhou Huimin had obviously thought of this as well. She smiled and took He Daqi's arm, about to say a few sarcastic words, but before she could speak, He Daqi's phone rang.

He took it out and saw that it was Deng Chao calling again.

He Daqi clicked his tongue and answered the call.

"What is it? Speak."

"Why are you so irritable? Can't you just call and chat for a bit?" Deng Chao asked, suppressing a laugh.

Hearing Deng Chao's snickering as he tried to suppress a laugh, He Daqi replied irritably, "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to say. Hurry up, do you have anything serious to say? If not, I'm hanging up."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm going to Beijing next month, shall we go out for a drink?" Deng Chao said immediately, afraid that He Daqi might hang up the phone at the slightest disagreement.

"What specific number?"

"Around the fifteenth."

He Daqi calculated the time and replied, "Ideally before the 22nd, I have something to do after the 22nd."

"Okay, I'll bring a digital camera with me. You can perform your song and dance routine from a Korean variety show, and I'll film a high-definition version for you."

"Get lost! I'm hanging up." Zhou Huimin, who had been listening to the whole thing while nestled next to He Daqi, knew that He Daqi had been humiliated. She had already forgotten about wanting to say a few words to He Daqi earlier, and was just laughing and giggling.

He Daqi was too lazy to argue with Zhou Huimin. She was shameless and persistent, and neither scolding nor beating her worked. She was like a stubborn piece of meat.

Right now, he was cursing Deng Chao in his heart: Don't let me catch you, otherwise if you do anything abstract, I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life!

Thinking of this, He Daqi suddenly remembered something, closed his eyes, and entered the film library.

He wanted to see what Deng Chao filmed next, so he could seize the opportunity to mock him.

When the nanny van stopped at the gate of the villa, He Daqi opened his eyes somewhat blankly.

I'm being superficial; I'm still being superficial!
What's going on with Deng Chao going to film variety shows? Will the variety show market be this good in a few years? Will everyone be filming variety shows?

What's the deal with that breakup guru and the villainous angel?
What exactly caused that actor who used to specialize in playing young emperors to transform into that abstract figure of the future?
Compared to the future Deng Chao, He Daqi felt that his dancing on variety shows was nothing compared to Deng Chao's. Deng Chao was shameless, so how could he possibly mock him?

At this moment, He Daqi was confused.

……

……

The chopsticks were stuck next to the plate of braised eel with bamboo shoots, but they didn't move. I don't know if it's because they don't like it or what.

You can vaguely hear the waiter announcing the menu downstairs, and the sounds of drunk guests passing by outside the private room vying to treat each other to a meal.

"Eat your food, don't just stare at me. What's wrong with you?" Deng Chao shivered as if he had thought of something bad.

"What's going on?"

"Stop pretending! Ever since I walked in, you've been looking at me strangely, like you've discovered some new continent. You've been staring at me the whole time. What, is there something on my face?"

Upon hearing this, He Daqi awkwardly touched his nose and coughed. He couldn't very well tell Deng Chao, "You've become enlightened in the future, and you're always doing abstract things. I want to study how you manage to get water into your brain."

He figured that if Deng Chao said that, he would think that He Daqi was the one who had lost his mind, so He Daqi decided to brush the question off and picked up his wine glass and said, "Come on, let's have a drink. It's been a long time. Maybe it's because you've been filming outdoors. When you came in, I felt that you had aged several years, so I took a few more glances at you."

The two wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"You're only a few years older," Deng Chao retorted, then downed the glass of wine in one gulp.

He Daqi followed suit, and after drinking the fiery liquor, he quickly picked up a piece of eel with his chopsticks to settle down.

As Deng Chao refilled his glass, He Daqi said, "By the way, I have something to tell you. Are you fully booked for the first half of next year? Could you spare a week?"

"What? You want me to do a cameo role?"

"Yes, I'm going to film a period movie next year, and there's a role that would suit you. If the movie does well at the box office, your role will become a main character in the second movie."

"Wow! There's such good news? Your movie's box office is bad? Does that mean I've already been confirmed for the role in the sequel?"

"More or less," He Daqi said vaguely.

He didn't tell Deng Chao that his film was intended to counter Zhang Yimou, and that the box office performance might not be very high, and the sequel might be canceled.

Anyway, Deng Chao will be able to see what happens when the time comes. If the box office really picks up, he won't even need to provide the script. He can deduce the storyline of the character he plays based on the plot.

"If you put it that way, I'll do this cameo role even if it means filming multiple movies next year. Tell me quickly, what's the story like? I'll prepare myself and give a great performance. Maybe I'll become famous because of this role, and other directors will discover my talent. Then I'll get a constant stream of movie offers and I can transition into a movie actor."

"You're a dreamer. Come on, drink more. Once you're drunk, you'll have everything. Don't let directors notice you; you'd be better off becoming a director yourself."

Their glasses clinked again, and they both sipped their wine in one gulp.

After finishing his drink, Deng Chao exhaled the smell of alcohol from his mouth, paused for a moment, and then looked up with a serious expression, saying, "Alright, let's get down to business."

"Aren't we always talking about serious matters?" He Daqi retorted.

"Next, I'll talk about a major event in my life."

"Are you getting married to Sun Li?"

"Cough...cough cough...cough cough, no, cough, that's not what I meant! We're just good buddies!" Deng Chao almost choked and coughed for a while before calming down.

He Daqi looked up at him meaningfully, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't continue teasing Deng Chao, but instead asked with a light laugh, "What is it?"

"My contract is about to expire. How about I go directly to Yonghui Qiming when it expires?" Deng Chao said with some anticipation.

He Daqi thought for a moment, then shook his head. This time, he chose to tell the truth: "Yonghui Qiming will not sign any more people. When the time is right, the current Yonghui Qiming Girls Group will also be spun off. They will probably be given a studio and made to be responsible for their own profits and losses. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that their name is Yonghui Qiming Girls Group, and my contract is also with Yonghui Qiming and difficult to change, Zhou Huimin would have already wanted to turn this company into a film investment company."

"I remember your girl group made a lot of money, right? Aren't you satisfied yet?"

"They have progressive contracts, with annual evaluations. The more they earn, the higher their share the following year. They've become famous quickly these past few years, so their share is quite substantial now."

Deng Chao was taken aback and blurted out, "Are you two doing charity work?"

"No, I don't manage this business. Zhou Huimin founded this company. She initially had high ambitions and was ready to make a name for herself, until she invested in an internet company..."

What happened next is self-evident to He Daqi and Deng Chao.

Deng Chao rubbed his face with some worry, sighed and said, "Sigh, then where do you think I should go? The other companies aren't very good, and your Asia... Yue? It's Asia Yue, right? I don't think they sign anyone."

"We're starting to sign people now. If you want to sign Ya Yue, I would recommend it. Wang Jinghua is there now, and her reputation speaks for itself. She'll definitely be happy if you go, and she'll help you create a whole plan. Oh, and Huayi is also an option. You can give it a try. If you're not happy at Huayi, I can cover for you."

He Daqi's news was a bit ahead of its time. Huayi and Wang Jinghua hadn't issued any statements yet, and outsiders didn't know about the changes at Yayue and Huayi. So, after hearing what He Daqi said, Deng Chao's mind was already a bit foggy.

"Don't tell me you now own shares in Huayi."

"It wasn't me, it was Vivian Chow who had it."

"What's the difference between that and you?"

(End of this chapter)