It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 142 The Satisfaction and Sense of Accomplishment of a Nurturing System! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
At the celebration party for "Taken", the different circles were clearly divided.

Huayi faction, Hairun faction, Rongxinda faction, Beijing circle, Shanghai circle, Northwest circle, Beijing Film Studio, capital circle...

Just like the premiere, the people who came today were also a mixed bag.

Before the celebration banquet began, Han Sanping had specifically asked Lü Rui whether to invite all the stakeholders of "Taken" separately, or to send out invitations to everyone.
Lü Rui chose the latter.

He believes that sharing joy is worse than enjoying it alone, and he quite likes lively scenes; the more people there are, the more fun it is.

Resources and benefits are generated through exchanges. Rather than a celebration banquet, today's event is more like a grand arena for fame and fortune!

Interestingly, Ruishijie has also subtly formed its own faction.

Hou Hongliang, Ning Hao, Zhao Peng, Shen Ao and the others gathered around Lü Rui, forming a circle that spread outwards.

Of course, such an occasion would also be complete with well-connected brokers, handing out business cards everywhere and promoting themselves or others.

"Director Lü, it's been a long time."

"President Wang?" Lu Rui smiled slightly as he saw Wang Jinghua and her group approaching.

If the most talked-about event in August was the box office success of "Taken", then the second most talked-about event was definitely the fierce competition between Wang Jinghua and Huayi Brothers!

In fact, as early as the beginning of the year, there were rumors that the two Wangs were going to separate from Wang Jinghua.

However, at the time, many people did not take it seriously.

After all, Huayi was at the height of its success, so why would it suddenly split up? Wouldn't that be digging its own grave?
But after May, the situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse.

First, an artist "casually" revealed that Huayi Film & Television and Huayi Brokerage Company had severed business ties.

Later, when interviewed by the media, Wang Zhonglei was asked whether the rumor was true or false.

He certainly wouldn't admit it.

However, Wang Jinghua neither admitted nor denied it, only saying that some business disagreements had occurred.

It's worth noting that she initially brought her artists with her to Huayi Brothers, holding a 50% stake in the independent agency she co-founded with the Wang brothers!

Both parties are essentially equal; there is no question of one working for the other.

Therefore, if she wants to leave, she can leave as soon as the contract expires, without having to consider anyone's opinion.

That's why the media seemed to have uncovered some "earth-shattering secret," constantly digging deeper into the inside story.

The more they dug, the more surprising the information they found became!
Wang Jinghua is actually planning to take all the artists under her wing and leave!
If Huayi leaves, won't it be completely drained?

Is the first privately-owned film and television brokerage company on the verge of collapse?
"Congratulations Director Lü, a director with 3 million yuan in box office revenue! That's truly amazing!"

Wang Jinghua's words were full of emotion, but her expression remained calm, as if she was not affected by the rumors flying around.

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me. I was just lucky."

After a brief chat, Wang Jinghua looked around to make sure no one else was around, then lowered her voice and said, "Director Lü, if you have any new projects in the future, remember to contact me. My artists really admire you."

She handed me a business card.

Lü Rui reached out and caught it.

As you can see, the phone number is still the same and the name is still Wang Jinghua, only the prefix "General Manager of Huayi Artists Department" is gone.

Lu Rui immediately understood that this was a formal separation of the family business; even the business cards had been changed.

He put away the business card and nodded in response: "I also look forward to cooperating with Mr. Wang."

In order to make a film or television series, in addition to the director and script, the actors are equally important.

He wasn't interested in the conflict between Huayi Brothers and Wang Jinghua, but he did appreciate the artists from both companies, as many of them were indeed talented actors.

Anyway, Ruishijie doesn't act as an artist agent, so what difference does it make whose artists we use?

Moreover, as the resource provider, he had the right to set conditions from beginning to end, and the initiative was in his hands.

After handing out her business card and expressing her stance, Wang Jinghua left with her group of people.

It's clear that her target tonight is either a director like Jiang Wen, Gu Changwei, or Ning Hao, or an investor like Enlight Media, Bona Film Group, or Huayi Brothers Media.

Clearly, she's openly paving the way for herself.

Judging from that business card, it's likely that they'll be "taking action" in the next couple of days.

As soon as Wang Jinghua left, Fan and Li Bingbing came over one after the other with smiles to greet her.

Clearly, they have made a different choice.

Given that Fan Bingbing was officially announced as the female lead in "A Battle of Wits," and Li Bingbing has a steady stream of television drama opportunities and rumors of her going to Hollywood, it's not hard to guess that these are the conditions Huayi Brothers offered them.

The Wang brothers are really something! They managed to recruit two key members who originally belonged to Wang Jinghua into their ranks.

"When will filming for 'A Battle of Wits' begin?" Lu Rui asked casually.

Fan Bingbing's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "I'm not sure yet. Does Director Lü have a new project?"

Logically speaking, the Li Bingbing and Li Xue sisters should be more fitting for the phrase "ice-snow-smart," but Lü Rui felt that Fan Bingbing was much more clever than the other two sisters.

"Yes." Lu Rui didn't hide it from her. He looked her over and said, "The audition notice will be sent out in a while. You'll know then."

There are 14 female leads in "Sunny Sisters", and some of them fit Fan Bingbing's character quite well.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see after the audition.

"Okay, I'll definitely be there." Fan Bingbing was a little excited, and blurted out, "Director Lü, does Ruishijie really not do artist management business?"

She genuinely felt that following Lü Rui would lead to a better future than following Hua Yi and Wang Jinghua!
Ultimately, Huayi Brothers' film projects mainly relied on Feng Xiaogang.

But how can Feng Xiaogang compare to Lü Rui? The difference between them is like heaven and earth!

Therefore, given the opportunity, she wouldn't mind seeking another wise ruler.

Ice has drifted and fallen for half a lifetime...

Lu Rui gave her a deep look and shook his head: "I don't specialize in artist management, but I personally invest in some artist studios with promising prospects."

Artist? Studio?

Fan Bingbing was momentarily dazed.

He had heard of directors' studios, such as Feng Xiaogang, who has his own personal studio.

But this was the first time she had ever heard of an artist's studio, and something seemed to have been touched within her, causing her thoughts to race...

While she was still in a daze, Li Bingbing and Li Xue, the two sisters, had already started chatting warmly with Lü Rui.

The two had noticed it from a short distance away; Lü Rui seemed to have said something, and Fan Bingbing looked excited.

Considering the identities of the directors and actors on both sides, it's not hard to guess that Ruishijie is about to make another move.

Thinking of this, Li Bingbing became impatient.

She had previously thought she could land a role in "The Banquet," after all, she is currently the leading lady of Huayi Brothers.

Unexpectedly, Feng Xiaogang first cast Zhang Ziyi as the female lead, and then, in order to recruit Zhou Xun, the company gave her the role of "Qing Nu," who was also a female lead.

As a result, she, the top star of Huayi, was left out in the cold.

If Wang Zhonglei hadn't made a series of promises to her about endorsements and fashion resources, and hadn't vowed to send her to Hollywood, she would have already lost her temper.

Moreover, the Hollywood project is still just an empty shell; the promise has been made, but she hasn't actually taken a bite of it yet.

So, she's in a pretty hurry too.

If given the opportunity, she would like to find herself a reliable film resource, and Ruishijie is undoubtedly a good choice.

"Director Lü, I really look forward to working with you, and I hope you can give me a chance."

"Going straight to the point right from the start?" This move surprised Lü Rui for a moment.

However, he quickly realized what was going on and said with a smile, "I will contact you if a suitable opportunity arises."

"Okay, thank you, Director Lü," the Li sisters quickly thanked him.

Li Xue then handed him a business card.

Lu Rui took it and glanced at it, his eyebrows involuntarily twitching.

[Deputy Director of Huayi Artists Department]

That's quite a prestigious title!
As soon as the two sisters left, Lü Rui turned around and saw Ning Hao swaying over, the gold necklace around his neck particularly eye-catching.

"This time it can't be fake, right?" Lu Rui joked.

"It's genuine!" Ning Hao said smugly, picking it up and shaking it. "It cost tens of thousands of yuan, and the color won't fade even if you burn it with a lighter."

"Hahahahaha!"

Lu Rui was immediately amused by him. This guy had actually turned his life around and was now exuding the air of a nouveau riche.

"Oh, right." Ning Hao suddenly leaned closer, pointing to a spot not far away, "You've worked with that girl before, haven't you? What's her background?"

Lu Rui looked in the direction he was pointing and saw Jing Tian greeting Liu Yifei and her friends.

Xiao Liu invited many friends and classmates to her birthday party today.

Several of them were familiar to Lü Rui, such as Yang Mi who played Guo Xiang, Shu Chang who played Tianshan Tonglao, and some of her college classmates...

"You mean, Jing Tian?"

“Yes, it’s her.” Ning Hao nodded.

"What's wrong with her?" Lu Rui asked curiously.

"She's releasing a single, and not only did she hire Faye Wong's producer Zhang Yadong, but she also wants me to direct the music video. Wow, the price she's asking for is ridiculously high!"

"Haha, since you've been invited, then go ahead."

"I'm just curious. I don't want to be tricked into joining a pyramid scheme. What if I finally save up some money and get scammed?"

"Don't worry, the 'eldest princess' of the Wanda faction wouldn't even look at the pittance in your pocket."

Ning Hao was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses: "Holy crap? Wanda, the company that does real estate and cinemas?"

"Correct."

"Huh, then I'm relieved."

Ning Hao's eyes darted around, and he had already decided to agree.

The payment for the music video shoot is one thing, but if he can get involved with Wanda, it will definitely be beneficial to his future development.

With the real estate industry booming and the cinema market gaining momentum, Wanda is showing signs of becoming a "giant".

Building good relationships now might come in handy in the future.

As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard a chattering sound nearby.

"Hello, Director Lü. Hello, Director Ning."

A group of girls gathered around, subtly centered on Liu Yifei, and greeted her politely.

"Hello." Ning Hao nodded and smiled in return; he wasn't very familiar with any of these people.

However, Lü Rui was quite familiar with most of the people present.

Especially those from the class of 02, who were previously arranged by the Beijing Film Academy to make cameo appearances in his movies, and were scolded by him quite a bit because of their acting skills.

"You're graduating next year, right? I'm really looking forward to seeing your graduation performance, don't disappoint me."

He deliberately put on a stern face, scaring everyone into shrinking their heads back. Jiang Yiyan, in particular, hadn't bothered to hone her acting skills during her four years of university; all she thought about was getting to know powerful figures.

It does have some effect.

Her classmates had no idea that she already knew Chen Daoming!

In terms of resources, she was inferior to everyone else in the class except Liu Yifei.

But precisely because of this, although she maintained a friendly relationship with Liu Yifei on the surface, she was secretly plotting her own schemes.

"Yifei? Director Lü wouldn't actually come to see our graduation play, would he? That doesn't make sense!"

After exchanging greetings, Zhu Yawen, who was startled, swallowed hard, looking quite flustered.

Liu Yifei covered her mouth and giggled: "What are you thinking? He's obviously trying to scare you on purpose! He's a master's student in directing, how could he have time to watch our graduation play?"

Having spent so much time together, she knew Lü Rui all too well.

He likes to put on a stern face when he's trying to scare people. Although he looks fierce, he's not actually fierce at all; he just does it on purpose.

"That's good." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Yang Mi and Shu Chang were still a little confused.

Is Director Lü very fierce? Why are you all so afraid of him?

"I even toasted him when I was on the set of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' and he didn't seem very fierce."

Liu Yifei raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling, and deliberately teased them: "You'll know when you have the chance to work with him. He's usually like a friendly older brother, but he's incredibly serious when filming, and it can be quite intimidating!"

As they were talking, Liu Xiaoli came over from the side and called out, "Qianqian, go change your clothes."

“Okay, Mom.” Liu Yifei nodded, then looked at her friends, “Wait for me a moment, I’m going to change my clothes, there’s a big cake coming later.”

"okay."

"Go."

"Sisi, wait for me, I'll go with you."

"I also need to go……"

Apart from Shu Chang and Wang Jia, everyone else chose to stay in the venue.

Today is also a rare opportunity for them to network and get to know influential people.

Yang Mi returned to Li Shaohong's side, while Jiang Yiyan tentatively approached the big shots. Zhou Yang followed Zhu Yawen to Wang Jinghua's place, and the others also went their separate ways...

……

"Mr. Lü, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Mr. Chen, I've long admired your name."

In the center of the venue, Lü Rui and Chen Jingfei met.

Interestingly, this is the first time Lü Rui has met this major shareholder since he invested in Hongxingwu.

He probably wouldn't have come if it weren't for Liu Yifei's birthday.

It's understandable, really. The real estate market is booming right now, and this guy's real estate empire has expanded from China to overseas. It's no wonder he's so busy.

Right now, Hongxingwu is just the most insignificant link in his industrial chain.

“I’ve known Sisi’s parents for a long time. When this girl said she wanted to return to China to enter the entertainment industry, I never expected that she would get to where she is today. Thank you for taking care of her…”

Lu Rui chuckled: "It's nothing, the main thing is that this girl is talented."

Perhaps because of their social status, many people believe that he and Liu Yifei are actually of different generations.

He was actually quite helpless, even though the two of them were not that far apart in age.

But this situation is unchangeable, so we can only leave it as it is for now.

That's why, when chatting with people like Liu Xiaoli and Chen Jingfei, he had to emphasize his role as a "capital provider."

Talk about interests first, so they won't overthink it, and even the outside media won't report it inappropriately.

Otherwise, they could easily be seen as "perverts" with ulterior motives.

Of course, in private...

"Sigh, I didn't expect this before. Public relations is really troublesome. Some things can't be solved by money. Deleting them is not an option, and not deleting them is also not an option. It spreads from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, which is very troublesome."

People always tell me that celebrities need to be magnanimous, but this girl is so young, if she gets affected... thank goodness you stepped in..."

Are all people in the real estate business so talkative?

Lu Rui's smile almost froze, while Chen Jingfei continued to ramble on.

In the end, he even started to ask if Vision was short of money. If so, he was willing to invest.

This person seems to want to emulate Wanda and explore the "commerce + real estate + culture" route.

He was lucky, reaping many benefits from the era's development, but compared to Wanda, he was far inferior.

Just then, someone came to the rescue!

Jiang Wen came over and said, "Come on, let's go to the front. My daughter is going on stage, and you'll have to go up and give a speech later..."

As they were talking, a beautiful figure walked out from backstage.

Wearing a white princess dress, Liu Yifei's figure looked even more slender, and the crystal crown on her head shimmered with tiny sparkles under the lights.

The childishness on her face has faded, replaced by a calm maturity, but her cuteness remains undiminished.

She couldn't fake a cool demeanor, and seeing so many people looking at her, she smiled shyly and didn't forget to wave and greet her friends in the audience.

Liu Xiaoli also came out from backstage from one corner of the stage.

She couldn't hide her pride as she watched her daughter walk confidently onto the stage.

Back when she first went on stage to dance, her daughter was in the audience clapping and cheering for her.

Now it was her turn to watch her little darling go on stage.

Liu Xiaoli's eyes were moist at some point, and she raised her hand to press them, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

She still remembered the first time the little girl learned to walk, she wobbled and rushed into her arms, her little arms squeezing her clothes until they were wrinkled.

Later, on his first day of kindergarten, he clung to her leg and cried, his tears and snot getting all over her pants.

When I got older, I would walk into the school gate with my schoolbag on my back and secretly turn around to wave to her...

Those scenes seem like they just happened yesterday, but the person in front of me is already wearing a formal suit and walking confidently into the spotlight.

As applause swept over from below the stage, she looked at her daughter's straight back and suddenly felt her heart soften and fill with joy.

So this is what it's like to watch your child grow up...

I was both reluctant to see her say goodbye to her tiny, innocent self, and I couldn't help but feel proud of her growing wings.

She quietly sniffed, smiled, and looked up at the stage, her eyes unblinking, as if she wanted to remember this moment forever.

Regarding the birthday party held between the celebration banquets, many people were unaware that such a segment would take place beforehand.

So when Liu Yifei walked onto the stage with her skirt lifted and an exquisite crystal crown on her head, many people were momentarily stunned.

Until Jiang Wen went on stage and took the microphone from the host:
"Today, in addition to celebrating 'Taken' surpassing 3 million at the box office, it is also my 'daughter's' 18th birthday. Here, as her 'father,' I am very grateful to everyone for coming to support us."

Only then did everyone suddenly realize!

Oh, it turns out today is also the birthday of the female lead from "Taken"!
Isn't this too coincidental?

After the initial surprise, most people felt envy.

To be able to celebrate one's 18th birthday at the celebration party for the first domestic film to gross 3 million yuan, and with Jiang Wen personally opening the party, that's quite a grand occasion!

After they came to their senses, many of the female celebrities below had tears of envy in their eyes!

Jiang Wen continued to ramble on on stage, praising his "daughter" so much that Liu Yifei blushed.

Lu Rui stood in front of the stage, his gaze fixed on the girl clutching her skirt, her cheeks flushed, his eyes full of admiration.

The shyness in her eyes mixed with undisguised joy was like a freshly peeled lychee, so tender that it made his Adam's apple bob slightly.

This is how he protected and guided them to this point.

The overwhelming sense of accomplishment in my chest almost overflowed.

Sure enough, this is the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment of nurturing a character!

The birthday party was publicly stated as a way to pave the way for her further advancement in the industry, a logical step in the pursuit of profit.

But only he knew that those so-called "lifts" were nothing more than a respectable shell.

What he really wanted was to give her a grand celebration on her eighteenth birthday, so that she could clearly feel the joy of being cherished.

Using profit as a pretext is just a way of preventing others from seeing through his little scheme.

He unconsciously rubbed the gift he had prepared in his hand with his fingertips, and let out a soft snort, tinged with self-mockery.

She had just turned eighteen; she was still a flower that hadn't fully bloomed.

If people knew that his gaze towards her already contained an inappropriate tenderness, he would probably be called crazy.
Let's wait a little longer...

When she's older and can accept more heartfelt sentiments, then let this facade slowly fall away.

If I act too outrageously now, I'm afraid I'll be called a pervert.
Director Lü still has some sense of shame...

"This birthday party must have been Director Lü's idea."

Not far away, Fan Bingbing could not hide her envy, but her tone was very confident.

Li Bingbing didn't want to talk to her, but she couldn't help being curious: "What do you mean by that?"

"You don't even understand this? It's just what it says. Director Lü has invested in Red Star House, so he's definitely going to promote Liu Yifei. Isn't this birthday banquet the perfect opportunity?"

A knowing glint flashed in Li Bingbing's eyes, but she disliked Fan Bingbing's tone and retorted, "Ha, you think you're so smart."

Fan Bingbing glanced at her sideways, deliberately trying to scare her: "You'd better be careful. Among the four Dan and two Bing, you're doing the worst right now. Don't let this little girl on stage trample you down."

"Huh? I'm afraid of her?"

Li Bingbing pretended to be indifferent, but her heart was in turmoil.

She was indeed somewhat weak in the struggle for her interests.

However, she also has her younger sister.
The two sisters will work together, and she refuses to believe they can't achieve a bright future!
Just as the two were whispering and bickering, Jiang Wen on stage had finished his opening remarks, handed the microphone back to the host, and also gave him a gift.

It is a very exquisite necklace.

The gift was, of course, bought by Zhou Yun; he was just using someone else's gift to present to Buddha.

After presenting the gift, he happily stepped off the stage.

The birthday party certainly wouldn't end there.

Xie Nan, who had just signed with Enlight Media as a host, picked up the cue cards, glanced at the list of people who were to speak on stage, and quietly swallowed.

"Next, please welcome Mei..."

(End of this chapter)