Since they are reborn, they must be supported by the school beauties.

Chapter 252: A Little Inspiration

Zhang Qishuo's teasing made Chen Cheng feel a little embarrassed.

He quickly explained, "When she lent me the money, she didn't know her father was in trouble. It was just a coincidence that her father was facing a financial crisis before I had any money available."

Zhang Qishuo nodded and said, "You've done her father a big favor with this. Lu Zhixing's position as the exclusive supplier is now very secure. I heard that the second phase expansion project of Fancheng Power Plant has been approved. Once the second phase is put into operation, Lu Zhixing's annual turnover has the potential to double. If it weren't for your help, he wouldn't have made any money, and he would have been kicked out of the game long ago. So it's only right that he gives you something in return. But since we have this relationship, it's understandable that you don't accept it."

Chen Cheng laughed and said, "Thanks to Brother Zhang's help, I only helped Uncle Lu make a connection. If you hadn't been so generous in giving Uncle Lu your credit, this matter wouldn't have been possible."

Zhang Qishuo patted Chen Cheng on the shoulder and said, "It's mainly because you endorsed him that I dared to help him. But this is also helping myself. Once the second phase of the Fancheng Power Plant is completed and put into operation, he will be one of my major clients."

The two chatted casually along the way. After entering the venue, Zhang Qishuo asked Chen Cheng, "Brother, which row are you in?"

Chen Cheng glanced down at the ticket and said, "Row 13."

Zhang Qishuo said, "Director Jiang and I are in the second row. Do you have anything else planned for tonight? If not, let's have dinner together. There are a few other directors coming over tonight, and I'll introduce you to them."

Then, he asked mysteriously, "Does Zhang Yimou like it? And Feng Xiaogang is also participating these two nights. The coal market is good this year, and we plan to allocate more money to film and television next year. We want to have in-depth conversations with these big directors."

Chen Cheng said politely, "I'm afraid of causing you trouble, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Qishuo waved his hand: "What's the trouble? It's just eating together. And don't think that these big directors are all high and mighty. They all eat grains, drink, and sleep. I'm no different from ordinary people at the table."

Chen Cheng nodded and readily said, "As long as I don't cause you any trouble, I don't have any plans for tonight anyway."

"Alright then."

Zhang Qishuo laughed and said, "Don't leave after the show, wait for me."

"Row."
-
After Chen Cheng sat down in his seat, more people began to enter the room.

Soon, the entire concert hall was packed.

The performance started promptly at 8:00 PM.

After the lights dimmed, the orchestra's musicians took their places one by one, and the conductor walked onto the stage under a spotlight, amidst applause.

Before stepping onto the podium, the conductor bowed to the audience, then turned to face the orchestra members. At that moment, the stage lights gradually came on, and Chen Cheng immediately spotted Liu Shiyu, dressed in a black dress, sitting in the center of the stage holding a cello.

Then, the conductor paused briefly in the air with his baton, and with a flick of the tip, the opening theme of "A Song of Ice and Fire" began to play powerfully. After several bars of progressively stronger emotions, the audience was instantly captivated.

Then, Liu Shiyu played the melody that Chen Cheng was very familiar with, as if it instantly brought him back to the days when he stayed up all night watching dramas. The stirring and majestic music quickly unveiled the mysterious veil of a grand Middle-earth world.

The piece instantly captivated the audience. Most symphony performances feature well-known world-famous pieces, so the Philharmonic Orchestra's opening with a piece they had never heard before was a refreshing surprise for the audience.

Liu Shiyu's performance was even better than the original, with every note handled perfectly, stunning all the audience members present.

The Philharmonic Orchestra transcribed the piece to be about two minutes long, which is perfect for an opening performance—not too short, not too long—and leaves the audience wanting more when the performance ends.

After the piece was finished, the audience erupted in applause. Liu Shiyu stood up, bowed to the audience, and then left the center position to return to her own performance seat.

In Chen Cheng's opinion, the subsequent performances were rather conventional.

When the performance ended, what left everyone wanting more was the opening song, "A Song of Ice and Fire." Even as the audience dispersed, Chen Cheng could still hear many people humming that classic melody from "A Song of Ice and Fire."

After leaving the concert hall, Chen Cheng didn't rush to leave. Instead, he waited for Zhang Qishuo at the exit. At that moment, he received a text message from Liu Shiyu: "How was the performance? Mr. Chen, please give us your feedback!"

Chen Cheng replied, "Very good, excellent." Liu Shiyu asked him, "Are you busy tonight? I'll treat you to a late-night snack!"

Chen Cheng replied, "No need to trouble yourself. I ran into an old acquaintance when I entered the venue. We made an appointment to grab something to eat together later."

Liu Shiyu asked, "What time are you going back to the hotel? I can come find you later, since I have nothing else to do tomorrow."

Chen Cheng replied, "I'm not quite sure yet. You stay with your aunt and uncle for now, and I'll let you know in advance when I'm almost done."

"Alright! I'll wait for your message!"

At this moment, Zhang Qishuo and several familiar faces came out together, including Jiang Wen, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang. There were a few other people with them, but Chen Cheng felt that they were not very familiar and could not recall their names.

Upon seeing Chen Cheng, Zhang Qishuo waved to him and said, "Brother Chen, let me introduce you. These are the pillars of our Chinese film industry."

Then he said to the group, "This is my little brother, surnamed Chen, named Chen Cheng. He is a student at Jiangcheng University and loves movies, so I asked him to learn more from the masters."

Although Zhang Qishuo admired Chen Cheng, he didn't flatter Chen Cheng in front of so many masters, which relieved Chen Cheng. He was really afraid that Zhang Qishuo would bring up the Dragon King Set Meal again.

So he humbly greeted everyone, and because he was Zhang Qishuo's friend, everyone was very polite to Chen Cheng.

Zhang Qishuo introduced them to Chen Cheng one by one, and Chen Cheng then realized that one of the unfamiliar people was the film score composer Tandon.

After introducing himself to Chen Cheng, Zhang Qishuo said to him, "Brother Chen, when we get to the restaurant, you can come with my car. After we're done, my driver will take you home."

Chen Cheng nodded and went out the gate with Zhang Qishuo. The driver had already arrived at the gate in his Bentley.

After getting in the car, Zhang Qishuo said to Chen Cheng, "Brother Chen, don't be too reserved at the dinner table. Listen to them talk, and if you feel you can join in, say a few words. Don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing. Get to know them first. If you really want to enter the film and television industry in the future, these people can be considered high-quality resources."

Chen Cheng said with a smile, "Brother Zhang, I don't think I'm cut out for this job. I'll just have to listen to the teachers' advice and experience."

Zhang Qishuo shook his head and said, "They are all artists, but to be honest, I don't like any of the things they make. I also don't like the works of those great writers. A few years ago, I watched a movie directed by Zhang, and damn it, everyone around the protagonist died one by one, and they died in all sorts of ways. It made me very depressed. And those Hong Kong movies, the first half is very enjoyable, but the second half has to disgust you. Either the female lead dies, or the male lead dies, or the brothers die. I just don't understand why they have to make it a tragedy to be satisfied. Why can't they just let the audience enjoy it from beginning to end?"

At this point, Zhang Qishuo said indignantly, "I think the trend in the film and television industry has been corrupted by these people. They insist on making tragic and melodramatic films. After watching them, you either leave crying or cursing. Right now, the threshold for making movies is too high, which allows these people to create these kinds of disgusting plots. In the future, when the threshold for making movies is lowered and there are more directors who know how to cater to the audience, they can make more films that make the audience feel good from beginning to end. These films will definitely have higher box office returns than theirs."

Chen Cheng looked at Zhang Qishuo with some surprise. He hadn't expected that although this older brother's words were a bit vulgar, his views were quite forward-thinking.

In the future, the films that will repeatedly break box office records in China will almost all be the works of the younger generation of directors. Twenty years from now, these well-known directors will find it difficult to have any appeal on their films alone. They will basically rely on their status in the industry to gather a large number of big stars to make a film, and use the influence of the stars and powerful promotional resources to obtain high box office results.

So he agreed, saying, "Brother Zhang is right. I also think that commercial films should cater to the positive emotions of the audience. They should be either extremely funny or extremely exciting. Only such films can create box office records."

"Yeah!"

Zhang Qishuo nodded and sighed, "Director Jiang told me that after his five-year ban on filming ends, he wants to make a more profound film. My head was spinning when I heard that. Although I don't know what he wants to make, a more profound film, how the hell can it still make money?"

Then, with a look of longing, he said, "Next, I want to invest in a really exciting movie, one that has no depth, doesn't care about logic or anything, and follows the logic of Hollywood blockbusters completely, so that the audience will be thrilled."

"That's why I especially love the plot you came up with in the Dragon King Set Meal. Damn it, who cares about whether it's reasonable or not, as long as it's fun, that's all that matters. It's just like that old 'Kangxi's Private Visits,' where a stupid emperor doesn't stay in the Forbidden City to manage the country, but instead spends his days with a woman, a monk, a eunuch, and a maid, wandering among the common people, pretending to be weak while actually being strong. Do you think that plot makes sense? Not at all!"

"What emperor would be so bored as to go on an incognito trip? Emperors are terrified of death. They wouldn't even touch the food in the palace without someone trying it first. If someone so afraid of death dared to let them go on an incognito trip, wouldn't they execute their entire family? But as long as it's entertaining to film, the audience will love it. Who cares if it's reasonable or not?"

"Brother Chen, when do you have some free time? Help me come up with some ideas for this kind of plot. I'll find a young director to make it, bypass these old guys, and maybe it can break the Chinese box office record."

Chen Cheng smiled and nodded: "If that's how you put it, then I have a bit of an idea."

(End of this chapter)