Chinese entertainment starts with Hong Shixian

Chapter 294 West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce Rice Bowl, Delicious!

An hour or so later, Guo Fan led Gao Xiaosong in, looking somewhat puzzled and uncertain.

The main reason is that this factory café is a bit out of the way, and also a bit...unique!
These days, coffee and the like are synonymous with the petty bourgeoisie.

Starbucks, laptop, business Bluetooth headset, sitting there all day.

The bourgeois sentiment immediately came to mind.

But this kind of coffee shop set up directly in an abandoned factory building was something neither Guo Fan nor Gao Xiaosong had ever seen before.

Especially the mottled wall paint, the old-fashioned green-painted iron-framed square windows, and the exposed red bricks.

It doesn't seem to have anything to do with affordable luxury coffee at all.

Guo Fan first glanced at the sign above the door that read "Boiler Coffee," and then, upon entering, he knocked on the boiler-like structure resembling a fertilizer production reactor, marveling at it.

"Old Qi, you guys have really got a unique style to this place!"

Xiao Yang, who was next to Qi Hui, waved his hand, and the crew's chef behind the bar came over with several glasses of ice water.

"The conditions are limited, so please make do," Qi Hui said with a smile. "This is just a set, not a real coffee shop."

"Hehe, I understand." A smile appeared on Gao Xiaosong's pockmarked face.
"Hello, Mr. Qi Hui, nice to meet you."

"It's not exactly the first time." Qi Hui chuckled. "Haven't we chatted online a few times before?"

Gao Xiaosong wasn't embarrassed at all, nor did he intend to apologize. He smiled calmly and said, "We have different opinions, but that doesn't affect our cooperation."

"Who would turn down money? What do you think?"

Qi Hui looked at him meaningfully, smiling without saying a word.

Gao Xiaosong truly lives up to his reputation as a public intellectual; even under Qi Hui's gaze, he showed absolutely no shame.

It's as if everything he ever said was just nonsense.

Yes, it really was a fart, and it stank horribly.

"Let's get down to business," Guo Fan said. "Old Qi, I've got a movie in the works and I'd like you to play the lead role."

As he spoke, he took the script out of his bag.

Xiao Yang took it, flipped through it, and asked, "What about the pay?"

Guo Fan thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you tell me your requirements?"

He and Qi Hui have a good relationship. If Qi Hui really wants to act, he can decide after reading the script. As for the salary, the producer and the agency can negotiate it.

Bringing it up now might seem normal to outsiders, but Guo Fan knew that Qi Hui probably had other ideas.

"A base salary of 500 million, plus 10% of the box office revenue," Xiao Yang said. "Or directly an 800 million salary."

"Impossible... That's too high!" Gao Xiaosong's face turned green. The total investment for "My Old Classmate" was only over 30 million yuan, and Qi Hui alone accounted for almost a third of it.

How can the movie be made then?
He originally thought that with the relationship between Guo Fan and Qi Hui, the friendship price wouldn't be a problem, but he never expected...

Xiao Yang said expressionlessly, "Qi Hui's salary is a normal price and has not deviated from the market."

"..."

One sentence left Gao Xiaosong speechless.

His eyes darted around, and he said, "Um, can I talk to Qi Hui alone?"

Guo Fan curled his lip, and Xiao Yang also glanced at Gao Xiaosong. The two of them didn't say anything and got up to leave.

"What is it? Speak up," Qi Hui said, getting straight to the point.

Gao Xiaosong coughed lightly and said, "Qi Hui, the internet is virtual, and everything on it is virtual. We don't need to bring our online arguments into real life."

"We are all students and supporters of Marxism, and we should believe in materialism, proceed from reality, and deal with life..."

Qi Hui picked at his ear; this guy really talks a lot of nonsense.

"You want me to lower my fee?" He interrupted Gao Xiaosong's rambling.

"How is this a reduction in salary?" Gao Xiaosong smiled and said, "It's because we've worked together so well, and the script is so good that we wanted to avoid other people competing for the role!"

Qi Hui is quite famous, both in the television drama field and even more so in the film industry, especially for starring in romance films.

That's why Gao Xiaosong is so persistent.

With Qi Hui in the cast, the film's popularity, buzz, and attention skyrocketed.

If they hype it up with Gao Xiaosong again, it's guaranteed to be a hit even before it airs.

"Not interested," Qi Hui said indifferently. They spread rumors and smeared him online, and now that they've met, they don't even apologize.

"How about this?" Qi Hui said, "Come on, you curse America a few times, curse India a few times, and then curse Fang Fang, Fang Zhouzi, Yuan Tengfei and the like, so I can vent my anger."

Gao Xiaosong kept a straight face and didn't say a word. Could he really do it?

Of course, all they do is criticize the US, India, and their competitors, right?
What's there to be afraid of?

However, this is Qi Hui's territory, and who knows if he has set up cameras here.

What if he gets photographed and the photos are posted online?

"Alright, get out." Qi Hui pointed to the door, not daring to say another word.

Gao Xiaosong gritted his teeth and slowly got up to leave.

A short while later, Guo Fan came in and sat down opposite Qi Hui.

"A cocktail, please... Are you driving?" Qi Hui asked.

"No." Guo Fan shrugged.

"Then let's have a drink together," Qi Hui decided.

"How did that thing get into your production crew?" Qi Hui asked, taking a sip of ice water, puzzled.

Guo Fan sighed and said helplessly, "The song 'My Deskmate' is his own work, and he used it as an excuse to get involved in the screenwriting work."

Guo Fan had considered changing the song, but China Film Group disagreed because the song was very popular and had a significant impact.

Guo Fan was also somewhat troubled by this.

He suddenly missed the time when he was in "Love is Not Blind". Apart from frequently taking leave, showing affection with Jing Tian, ​​and often tricking him, Qi Hui didn't have any bad things to do.

But "My Old Classmate" is different. China Film Group, Gao Xiaosong, and other investors all had considerable requirements.

It left him exhausted.

"Did Gao Xiaosong revise the script?" Qi Hui asked.

“It’s been changed!” Guo Fan got excited at the mention of this and started complaining: “He insisted on adding the female lead’s abortion, and also demanded that I film a scene of a wedding robbery, and that his mother go abroad… never mind, I won’t go into it.”

Guo Fan was extremely agitated.

He wanted to make a sweet and romantic movie that depicted the memories of youth in the 80s.

There wasn't even the idea of ​​going abroad in his script!

Qi Hui pursed his lips, then he definitely couldn't act!
When they called just now, they not only wanted him to act, but also Jing Tian.

He would never act out such a melodramatic plot with Jing Tian!

“I won’t act, and neither will Jing Tian,” Qi Hui said.

"I can guess that," Guo Fan nodded. Gao Xiaosong's existence had already blocked that path.

Qi Hui was not short of money and had no good feelings towards Gao Xiaosong; in fact, they were enemies.

“However, it’s not like I can’t help you,” Qi Hui said. “I’ll invest ten million in your movie, do you want it?”

"Of course I want to," Guo Fan said without hesitation.

"Let me recommend another actor to you."

"Who is it?" Guo Fan asked curiously. "Tell me."

“Zhang Ruoyun, my junior brother,” Qi Hui said. “He’s playing a supporting role in my play.”

"Hmm...I've got it." Guo Fan nodded.

"However, if you don't act, I can't decide who the male lead is. It has to be an audition, and we have to consider the audition process and the opinions of other investors."

I'll try my best to support him.

As the two were talking, the bartender brought over cocktails, and at the same time, the chef brought over two servings of butter-baked lobster.

The sweet aroma stimulated his taste buds, making Guo Fan's mouth water.

"Your food is so good?" Guo Fan said enviously. To save money, he flew economy class and ate airplane food when he came here.

And what's more, it's West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce with Rice.

The taste... well, from now on, no matter what anyone asks, I'll just say it's delicious!

I can't be the only one who's eaten it!

"It's alright." Qi Hui smiled and said, "Jing Tian and I are both here, so we've set the food standard high so she won't go hungry."

Guo Fan paused, feeling as if he had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food, making even the lobster taste bland.

(End of this chapter)