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

Chapter 295 Killing someone isn't enough; you must also destroy their spirit! Expanding the Red Star Dock's operations (10,000 words, requesting monthly votes)

The controversies in the film and television industry are always one after another.

Jackie Chan's angry rebuke of Li Lianjie, the infighting between two top actresses from Huayi Brothers, and the ongoing controversy surrounding "The Forbidden Kingdom" and "The Mummy 3" have kept the online discussion heated for a long time.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the production team of "Dream of the Red Chamber" encountered another new problem.

Following Lin Daiyu, Tang Yifei, who plays Qin Keqing, has also had her costume photos officially released.

Well, that's even worse; the insults are even more intense than before!

It's worth noting that in the original novel, Qin Keqing was described as possessing both beauty and virtue.

The original text describes her as "graceful and elegant, like Daiyu, and charming and beautiful, like Baochai," directly pointing out that she combines the two extreme beauties of Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai.

The judgment also praised her as "possessing charm and beauty like the moon," and Grandmother Jia even praised her as the most outstanding among her great-granddaughters-in-law, which is enough to show that this character is the epitome of beauty.

The official photos that were released were a complete surprise!

Tang Yifei was dressed in all black, her face was painted deathly white, and she even wore a very jarring green eyeshadow, making her look exactly like a female demon who jumped out of a horror movie.

Forget about "comprehensive beauty," it doesn't even have a basic sense of aesthetics.

Netizens couldn't hold back any longer and started criticizing without holding back:
"Is the production team deliberately ruining a classic?"

"This isn't Qin Keqing, it's the Black Mountain Demon!"

"If you can't film, then don't film. You're disgusting people all day long, damn it!"

Even more outrageous is that the original director, Hu Mei, seeing that the production team completely disregarded her opinions and acted recklessly behind the scenes, with casting, costumes, and props all being manipulated by capital, simply quit!
"Director Hu originally wanted to use the resignation of the director to exert pressure and regain control of the production team, but she didn't expect the production team to not take the bait at all. They kicked her out of the production team and immediately brought in Li Shaohong to take over..."

Hou Hongliang, as the social butterfly of Ruishijie, is quite well-informed.

Lu Rui tilted his head back and finished the remaining half glass of wine, saying with a hint of disdain, "A perfectly good classic has been ruined. Luckily, we didn't get involved back then."

When the "Dream of the Red Chamber" project was first proposed, Han Sanping asked him if he wanted to invest, and even promised to secure Liu Yifei the role of Lin Daiyu.

He refused without even thinking about it.

In retrospect, this decision was incredibly wise; otherwise, it might have benefited someone else and I would have been criticized along with them.

For 30,000 years, matriarchal societies struggled to feed themselves; for 5,000 years, patriarchal societies have been involved in manned spaceflight.

If a project is entirely female, from the director to the lead actors, and there's no reliable producer to guide the direction, it's likely to end up in a complete mess.

There is indeed a man standing behind "Dream of the Red Chamber".

But that man was worse off than if he hadn't existed; instead, he was causing all sorts of trouble inside...

"Director Lü, let me raise a glass to you. Thank you for trusting me and letting me make this film..."

At this moment, Lü Rui is attending the wrap party for "Ip Man" and "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil".

After having a round of drinks with the movie's stars, Rao Xiaozhi excitedly approached again, holding his wine glass.

Because he had already drunk quite a bit, his speech was a little slurred, but the gratitude in his eyes was hard to hide.

Lu Rui smiled and clinked glasses with him, jokingly saying, "Drink less, or you'll fall under the table again later."

"Okay, okay!"

Rao Xiaozhi nodded repeatedly, his steps unsteady as he returned to his seat, occasionally chuckling to himself, looking exactly like a landlord's silly son who had been overwhelmed by joy.

Lu Yang was still relatively sober at this point. He raised his glass and clinked it against Lü Rui's, not forgetting to tease Rao Xiaozhi:

"This kid got drunk once at the wrap party in Hong Kong, and he still hasn't learned his lesson, haha, he still needs to work on his drinking capacity."

"Haha."

Lu Rui couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He could understand Rao Xiaozhi's feelings.

Young people are naturally happy when they independently direct a film for the first time and successfully wrap up filming.

Looking at Rao Xiaozhi, who was still grinning foolishly, he actually felt quite gratified.

Both "Ip Man" and "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil" are genre films produced by Ruishijie.

At present, allowing a rising director like Rao Xiaozhi to take on a leading role not only gives newcomers opportunities but also helps the company accumulate more high-quality works, making it a win-win situation.

Following closely behind, Jiang Wu, Duan Yihong, Zhao Wenzhuo, Li Jianyi, Yan Danchen and others came forward one after another to offer toasts and greetings, all expressing their gratitude to Lü Rui for giving them the opportunity to appear on the big screen.

Actually, when it comes to making money, acting in movies doesn't earn nearly as much as acting in TV dramas.

However, the prestige and status of film actors are ten or even a hundred times higher than that of television actors!
Even the capital market is currently paying far more attention to movies than to TV series.

To give a simple example, Xu Jinglei, one of the "Four Dan Actresses," ranked 18th on this year's Forbes Celebrity List.

In contrast, Chen Hao, Orange Sky's leading lady and a heartthrob, ranked 15th.

According to the rankings, Chen Hao seems to be even more impressive than Xu Jinglei.

However, in the eyes of those in the industry, although both of them were mistresses, Xu Jinglei's status was far superior to Chen Hao's!
In fact, there is a hierarchy of disdain between film and television actors.

Even if some film actors don't have any outstanding achievements, their prestige and status bring them an aura. That's the reality of the industry, and no one can change that.

That is why everyone's gratitude towards Lü Rui was like a surging river.

Jiang Wu, in particular, downed three cups on the spot, his face flushed but his eyes shining!
"Dying to Survive" was nominated for the Venice International Film Festival, and he, as the male lead, received a nomination for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

Even if he doesn't win the award, the nomination has instantly boosted his status, completely shedding the label of "Jiang Wen's younger brother".

"After you get back, take a good rest for a few days. We'll set off for the Venice Film Festival on the afternoon of the 26th, just in time for the opening ceremony on the 29th."

Lu Rui gave Jiang Wu some instructions.

"Okay, no problem, I'm ready anytime. Just let me know if you need anything."

Jiang Wu readily agreed, offered another toast, and then turned to leave.

The drinking party ended precisely at 10 p.m.

There was no such thing as a second performance at the celebration banquet, but inevitably many familiar actors would leave in twos and threes.

When men and women walk together, it's inevitable that some ambiguous feelings will arise; this is unavoidable.

Lu Rui pretended not to see it.

Anyway, everyone will be free after filming wraps up, so he can't just stop people from dating, right?

However, Lu Yang and Rao Xiaozhi were not so fortunate.

Although filming has wrapped, the two of them still have to work hard in the post-production editing process for a while longer.

The following morning, as soon as Lü Rui arrived at the company, he went straight to the post-production editing room and gave the two of them orders:

"The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is going to be released before the Spring Festival next year. As for Ip Man, the editing is relatively more difficult, so we can extend it to the May Day holiday. Is that okay?"

Lu Yang and Rao Xiaozhi, already engrossed in their work, exchanged a glance and nodded without hesitation:
"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

"Yes, call me anytime if you encounter any difficulties."

Lu Rui casually gave a word of advice, then left and headed straight for the set of "The Witch".

As soon as he left, Rao Xiaozhi approached Lu Yang and asked in a low voice with great interest, "Brother Lu, do you think Brother Rui did it on purpose? Is he trying to continue to annoy the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Hong Kong entertainment circle with 'The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil' and 'Ip Man'?"

"Obviously, yes."

Lu Yang answered without even looking up.

He already knew about Lü Rui's entire plan when he was directing "New World".

This scheduling is clearly a repeat of the same old trick.

He couldn't help but bow his head and observe three seconds of silence for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

It's worth noting that the Hong Kong Film Awards were once touted by the Hong Kong film industry as the most dazzling crown in Chinese-language cinema!

However, ever since Lu Rui tricked them with "New World" and orchestrated a scheme to "nominate but win zero awards," their credibility has plummeted.

Those people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle are really stubborn. Even if they're willing to give up, they won't back down and have turned the Hong Kong Film Awards into their own private domain.

Nowadays, this award has not only become a laughing stock in the industry, but is also ridiculed as "Hong Kong entertainment circle's private bra," only protecting its own people.

"Brother Rui's move was too ruthless; he not only killed me, he also destroyed my spirit!"

Rao Xiaozhi sighed repeatedly, but his face couldn't hide his anticipation.

“They deserve it.” Lu Yang curled his lip, his tone disdainful. “An award that can’t even be fair and just should just die out as soon as possible, so it won’t be so embarrassing.”

"Haha, you're right!"

Rao Xiaozhi laughed heartily, then turned around and threw himself back into editing.

Both of them now understand that Lui Rui is trying to put pressure on the Hong Kong film industry by breaking down their barriers and illusions with a series of high-quality films.

What they can do is to perfect the post-production of the film, making the work the sharpest weapon!
……

……

The strong entry of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" dealt a heavy blow to the already precarious Chinese film market.

Due to the siphon effect of Hollywood blockbusters, the remaining Chinese-language films in the summer season all failed to compete.

"Flash Point," starring Donnie Yen and Louis Koo, was the first to falter, with a total box office of 3063 million yuan and being pulled from theaters, far short of its 7000 million yuan investment.

A huge loss is inevitable!

A few days later, Jay Chou's self-directed and self-acted film "Secret" also came to an end.

While the box office of 3370 million yuan wasn't dismal, it fell far short of the initial marketing expectations, and the transformation plan suffered a complete setback.

"The Equation of Love and Death" held up for a few days, but ultimately its box office figure remained at 3769 million, failing to complete its entire theatrical run and ending its run with regret.

The day after the movie's theatrical run ended, Cao Baoping, along with Zhang Yi and Fan Bingbing, visited the set of "The Witch".

"Director Lü, it's been a long time!"

Fan Bingbing greeted Lü Rui first, and then went to find Liu Yifei.

The two have always had a good relationship in private, often calling each other, and seem to be like best friends.

When it comes to assessing the situation, Fan has always been quite perceptive.

She knew perfectly well that only by maintaining a good relationship with Liu Yifei could she continue to receive preferential treatment from Lü Rui.

Conversely, if Liu Yifei were to whisper a few words in Lü Rui's ear, her path within Ruishijie would become much more difficult.

"The Golden Rooster Awards have started accepting submissions, and I'm going to try my luck with 'The Equation of Love and Death'."

Cao Baoping came here today mainly to talk about this matter.

“Okay, sure.” Lu Rui nodded, but then changed the subject, “I don’t object to you participating, but I have to tell you in advance that Rui Vision can’t help much and may even hold you back.”

Although he is not yet at odds with Baihua and Jinji, they are practically strangers now.

The main problem is that the judges are inhumane, and they are all a group of stubborn old men who don't get along with him.

That group of people neither appreciated his commercial film strategy nor his creative philosophy; they only wanted to trick him into promoting other films, and later they were tricked and harmed by him.

Since both sides dislike each other, it's better not to get involved.

"I know, I'll handle the rest myself." Cao Baoping didn't care about these things.

He is not a contracted director with Ruishijie, so he has a high degree of freedom. He has been deeply involved in the arts and culture circle for many years and has connections in various associations and institutions. His relationships are very strong.

With these connections, coupled with the quality of "The Equation of Love and Death" itself, the chances of winning a major award are quite high.

Although Lü Rui disliked the Golden Rooster Awards, he couldn't stop Cao Baoping from participating in the judging.

However, there was one thing that he found incredibly frustrating.

Based on normal box office trends, "The Equation of Love and Death" should have had a chance to reach 4000 million yuan, but it was dragged down by piracy in the later stages.

It's important to understand that the piracy industry has grown to a considerable scale, and the profits it infringes upon are becoming increasingly substantial!

Low-budget films are alright; their impact isn't fatal.

But at the end of the year, the hugely invested "Pacific Rim" will be released. If it is attacked by piracy, the box office loss will be unimaginable!

He had mentioned the issue of combating piracy to Han Sanping before.

The other party promised to intensify its crackdown efforts.

But as the saying goes, "money makes the world go round," and the intricate web of interests behind piracy is not so easy to eradicate.

Whether it can truly be implemented remains to be seen.

"By the way," Cao Baoping suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts, "Have you arranged the itinerary in Venice?"

"Yes, we'll depart on the 26th."

Lu Rui snapped out of his daze, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

He has prepared several "exciting programs" and is now just waiting to let the foreigners enjoy them.

He has already selected his target.

No! wrong!

To be precise, the other party took the initiative to come to him, begging him to give them money.

What can he do?
I had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
The two chatted casually, their conversation ranging from their Venice Film Festival trip to their future project plans.

Meanwhile, Fan Bingbing and Liu Yifei were huddled together, chatting and laughing in hushed tones. They talked about filming "The Witch" and "My Love from the Star," and gossiped about entertainment gossip, just like a pair of close best friends.

Zhang Yi was the only one who seemed a little lonely at the scene.

He had no familiar friends here, so he could only look around curiously, examining the set and props of "The Witch" with a sense of novelty in his eyes.

However, as he was strolling around, he suddenly heard two women talking in hushed tones not far away, and their conversation immediately piqued his interest.

One of the women asked, "Sister Liu, does your Red Star Studio still sign artists? My daughter Yuwen is pretty and loves acting. I'd like her to start as a child star and develop her career with you."

The other woman responded gently, "Thank you for your trust, but I need to think about it. Red Star Studio is essentially a family business right now, with only Yi Fei as an artist, and we don't have any plans to sign any new artists for the time being."

"Red Star Dock?"

Upon hearing this name, Zhang Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Isn't this Liu Yifei's agency?

Thanks to Liu Yifei's titles such as "Rui Girl" and "Fairy Liu," Hongxingwu enjoys considerable fame within the entertainment industry.

Especially after several public opinion battles spearheaded by Liu Xiaoli, this company, which only had one artist, has become an entity that no one in the industry dares to provoke.

There are even rumors that Lü Rui actually owns shares in Hongxingwu, which is the real reason why he spares no effort in promoting Liu Yifei.

Although neither party has ever publicly acknowledged it, people in the industry generally accept this fact.

Otherwise, why would Lü Rui always give the lead role to Liu Yifei in every big-budget production?
It's impossible that the two of them were secretly having an affair behind the scenes, right?
It is precisely because of this hidden connection of "backing by Ruishijie" that Hongxingwu has suddenly become a hot commodity in the industry.

Many artists are scrambling to sign with them, just to get on the good side of Ruishijie's resources.

Unfortunately, no one has succeeded so far.

Coincidentally, Zhang Yi was currently in need of a reliable agency.

After being discharged from the army last September, he has been filming while looking for a suitable company to settle down in.

Because he had only played supporting roles before and wasn't very famous, big companies didn't want to hire him.

It wasn't until the release of "The Equation of Love and Death" that his acting skills were recognized, and companies like Huayi Brothers, Orange Sky Entertainment, and Rongxinda Entertainment extended offers to him.

But he had little interest in these large companies.

Huayi Brothers, in particular, has signed many handsome and stylish young actors such as Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Li Chen, Bao Jianfeng, and Ruan Jingtian.

An actor with his average looks probably wouldn't have much of a future there; he'd likely just end up as a background character.

As for Cheng Tian, ​​he didn't have a good impression of the traitors.

As for Rongxinda, it's because they don't have many resources, so there probably wouldn't be much of a future there.

Even Fan Bingbing mentioned that she wanted him to join her studio.

But after much deliberation, he still chose to refuse.

Fan's studio has an uncertain future, and he's afraid that going there would only lead to more trouble.

But now, upon suddenly hearing the words "Red Star Dock," Zhang Yi's heart began to stir.

If I could join this company, wouldn't that be the same as officially connecting with Vision?
Lu Rui's vision and resources are obvious to all. If you can gain his appreciation, your future acting career will definitely be much smoother!
Thinking of this, his eyes lit up and an idea immediately came to him.

He first pretended to casually walk past Liu Xiaoli, then suddenly stopped when he got close, a perfectly timed look of surprise on his face, and took the initiative to greet her:

"Mr. Liu! Is it really you? I thought I had mistaken you for someone else. I've heard so much about you!"

"???"

Liu Xiaoli was taken aback by the sudden greeting, her face full of confusion.

She looked Zhang Yi up and down, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before, so she could only politely reply, "Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"Mr. Liu, my name is Zhang Yi. I previously worked with directors Fan Bingbing and Cao Baoping on 'The Equation of Love and Death'."

Zhang Yi quickly introduced himself, his attitude humble and sincere.

Immediately, he switched to his flattery mode:
"I worked with Yi Fei before when we filmed 'Dying to Survive,' where I played a cancer patient with a serious illness..."

Honestly, I've always admired you for having such a wonderful daughter... Although Red Starwood doesn't have many artists, every step they take is incredibly solid; they're truly role models in the industry.

These words were both appropriate and sincere.

Liu Xiaoli's doubts gradually dissipated, and she smiled: "So it's Teacher Zhang Yi! I watched your 'Li Mi's Conjecture,' and you acted very well! You're too kind; ours is just a small skirmish." Zhang Yi readily replied, his eyes filled with anticipation: "You're too modest."

Actually, I've been following Hongxingwu closely. I wonder if you have any plans to sign new talent? I'm not signed with any company yet, but I would be truly honored if I had the opportunity to join Hongxingwu and learn from you.

These words were direct and frank, without any beating around the bush, which surprised Liu Xiaoli.

She paused for a moment, then understood what Zhang Yi meant.

So, they also want to pay homage to the powerful Hongxingwu?
She had encountered this situation many times before, so she didn't agree immediately, but instead smiled and said:

“Teacher Zhang Yi, I acknowledge your talent, but signing an artist is a big deal, and I need to discuss it with my team first.”

The reason I didn't recognize Zhang Yi right away is because his image in "Dying to Survive" and "The Equation of Love and Death" is so different.

Therefore, it is clear that this person's acting skills are absolutely not a problem.

Moreover, he looks quite down-to-earth and steady, unlike those impetuous celebrities.

Most importantly, he is an actor who came from Lü Rui's movies, and the fact that they have collaborated twice already proves his ability.

"Okay, okay, thank you, Mr. Liu!" Zhang Yi quickly thanked him, his face showing his excitement. "I won't bother you any longer. You go ahead with your work, I'll just browse around here."

After saying that, he tactfully stepped aside, but his heart was in turmoil.

Although she didn't receive a definite answer, Liu Xiaoli didn't directly refuse, which was the best signal.

He couldn't help but glance at Lü Rui, who was chatting with Cao Baoping not far away, and silently prayed for a good outcome.

If I can get in touch with Ruishijie, it would be like finding a reliable backer for my acting career.

……

After having lunch with the crew, Cao Baoping left with Zhang Yi and Fan Bingbing, who had both gained something from the experience.

He had to rush back to organize the application materials for "Li Mi's Conjecture," since the application window for the Golden Rooster Awards was limited.

Meanwhile, Fan Bingbing's drama "My Love from the Star" is still being filmed intensively, and she is also rushing back to the set to reshoot her scenes.

However, she was quite excited about the fact that "The Equation of Love and Death" would be submitted to the Golden Rooster Awards.

After all, ever since she won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for her role in "Cellphone," she hasn't won any mainstream awards since, mostly just some lesser-known ones.

Currently, among the four most popular young actresses, her commercial value, popularity, and achievements are all top-tier.

However, in terms of the prestige of the award, it is still quite a distance from Zhang Ziyi, my goal.

Therefore, she is quite looking forward to competing for the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress this time, hoping to add another significant asset to her acting resume.

Of course, she wouldn't miss the Venice International Film Festival either.

After all, the red carpet is her domain.

Now that she finally has a film starring her that has been shortlisted for an international film festival, she can not only make a strong impression on the global media, but also outshine a group of foreign actresses. How could she possibly let go of such an opportunity?

In fact, she had already started preparing her red carpet look long ago, and even secretly planned that if Li Bingbing went with her, she could suppress this old rival and let her see how successful she was after leaving Huayi Brothers!
Compared to Fan Bingbing's ambition, Zhang Yi's thoughts were much simpler.

He doesn't dare to dream of awards like Best Actor for the time being.

The biggest takeaway from this visit was successfully obtaining Liu Xiaoli's contact information and also learning from casual conversation that Hongxingwu does indeed have plans to expand the company's scale.

After all, Red Starwood is not involved in film and television production, nor in distribution or theaters. If it wants to expand its scale, it can only focus on artist management.

It's not hard to guess what Liu Xiaoli is thinking.

Her daughter's career is stable now, so she doesn't need to worry about her at all.

Since she was bored, she had the idea of ​​expanding the company.

Firstly, it will allow me to earn more money so that I can prepare a generous dowry for my daughter when she gets married in the future.

Secondly, once Hongxingwu's power grows, she will have enough confidence. In the future, if anyone dares to bully her and her daughter, they will have to think twice about whether they are qualified or have the guts.

Having pondered this far, she had already made up her mind!

Do it!
Let's get into artist management!

Expand the scale of Hongxingwu!

She wanted to see what it was like to be a godmother to celebrities in the entertainment industry.

My daughter is a complete "bad girl." She's always following other men around, and I don't share any sweet nothings or secrets with her anymore.

If she doesn't find something to do soon, she feels she'll develop depression sooner or later.

So, after filming ended that evening, during a break from dinner, Liu Xiaoli approached Lü Rui and shared her idea.

The decision is one thing, but without the support of other shareholders, her work cannot proceed.

Chen Jinfei has been in the United States recently, saying he wants to buy up mortgage-backed securities at rock-bottom prices. He seems to be obsessed with it, and he's almost completely neglecting his business in China.

Zhang Jizhong has almost no say in the matter, and his words carry little weight within the company.

Therefore, she could only seek Lu Rui's opinion, since he was the real backer of Hongxingwu at the moment.

"You want to expand Red Star Dock?"

Lu Rui put down his chopsticks and looked at her with some surprise.

"Correct."

Liu Xiaoli nodded and briefly explained her idea of ​​getting involved in artist management and signing more reliable artists:
“Now that I don’t need to worry about Yifei much, and I’m just sitting around doing nothing anyway, I might as well build up the company so I can give her more support in the future.”

After listening, Lü Rui had no objections and even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was hoping Liu Xiaoli would be busy, so she wouldn't have time to keep an eye on Liu Yifei all day.

That way, the two of them won't have to worry when they go on dates later.

Who would have thought that Director Lü would one day play "Yellow Hair"?
"Do you have the extra energy? Artist management is not an easy business; it's tiring and complicated."

She's my future mother-in-law, after all; I should show her the care and concern I deserve.

"I'll give it a try. It's better than doing nothing." Liu Xiaoli's tone was firm, clearly indicating that she had made up her mind.

"Okay, then you can arrange it as you see fit. Just let me know if you encounter any difficulties."

Ruishijie has no shortage of film and television projects. Since Liu Xiaoli is so enthusiastic, Lü Rui naturally wouldn't discourage her.

Does it matter who plays the role? Does it matter who you exchange benefits with?
If a few are transferred to Red Star Dock, he can actually earn double the money.

"So, does that mean I'll have a new colleague?" Liu Yifei, who had been sitting quietly listening, suddenly asked with interest, her eyes lighting up.

“You can’t say that,” Liu Xiaoli immediately corrected. “You are also a shareholder of the company and your position is vice president, so the newly signed artists are essentially your employees.”

"But I want to be the boss's wife," Liu Yifei muttered softly.

"What did you say?" Liu Xiaoli didn't quite hear her.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Realizing she had misspoke, Liu Yifei quickly waved her hand and hurriedly changed the subject, "Mom, didn't your cameo role wrap up a long time ago? When are you leaving the crew?"

"Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" Liu Xiaoli looked at her speechlessly.

"No...no," Liu Yifei said, her eyes darting around. "I was just worried you'd be bored on set. After all, a hotel isn't as comfortable as home."

"Is this the only reason?"

"..."

Liu Yifei was speechless when asked the question and could only lower her head and pick at the rice in her bowl.

Seeing this, Lü Rui was about to speak when Xue Xiaolu waved the storyboard in her hand and asked him to help check tomorrow's shooting schedule.

"You guys eat first."

He drank the soup in one gulp, then got up and left.

Watching him walk away, Liu Xiaoli poked her daughter's head in exasperation, "You brat! Don't think I don't know..."

"Oops! I'm not listening, you're just spouting nonsense."

Liu Yifei jumped up, covered her ears, and ran away in a flash, making Liu Xiaoli so angry that she wanted to chase after her and beat her a few times.

But she quickly calmed down.

"Alas, a daughter is no longer under her mother's control once she grows up..."

……

The filming of "The Witch" is progressing relatively smoothly.

During the first week of filming, Lü Rui stayed on set almost the entire time, overseeing everything from camera direction to the actors' performances.

By the second week, Xue Xiaolu had fully transitioned into director mode, demonstrating increasingly precise control over the film's pacing and details.

More importantly, the atmosphere on set was harmonious, the actors were obedient and easy to manage, and they didn't cause any trouble, unlike other film crews that were constantly embroiled in internal conflicts.

This is precisely the advantage of female-centric film and television works.

Everyone's core goal is to cooperate with the director and serve the female lead. When everyone works together towards the same goal, everything naturally goes smoothly.

In contrast, in some dramas with two or more main characters, it's not uncommon for the male and female leads to tear each other apart over screen time and billing order.
In comparison, the filming efficiency of "The Witch" was undoubtedly highly efficient.

So, starting from the second week, Lü Rui began to go to the film set less and less often, and instead focused his energy on the opening preparations of Ruixing Cinema and the writing of his graduate thesis.

There's no rush for the paper's progress, because he's already drafted the outline; he just needs to refine the details in his spare time.

The core argument mainly revolves around the social value and cinematic expression of "Dying to Survive," which should be more than sufficient for a graduate thesis.
What truly kept him occupied was the cinema business!

Within a week, he traveled non-stop between the four first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, attending the opening ceremonies of four Ruixing flagship cinemas.

These four cinemas were all built independently by Ruixing Cinema Line without the participation of other investors, unlike the Warner Cinema Lines that were previously acquired, which had shares from other capital.

Meanwhile, all four cinemas are five-star flagship cinemas under the Ruixing Cinema Line.

It benchmarks itself against the industry's top standards in terms of hardware facilities, viewing experience, and service standards, aiming to set a brand benchmark.

At present, the first batch of cinemas of Ruixing Cinema Circuit have been completed.

According to the plan, everything should be in place by the end of December.

Meanwhile, construction of the second batch of cinemas has also been successfully launched.

Furthermore, cooperation negotiations with local governments and local capital in various provinces and cities are also progressing steadily.

To be honest, this progress is actually much slower than initially expected.

Because Lu Rui originally planned to make the cinema chain achieve economies of scale in the second half of this year, but now it is slightly behind schedule.

In fact, cinema construction itself can keep up with the pace, since most projects adopt the old cinema renovation model, and the construction period is relatively controllable.

The current core challenge lies in staffing.

Because Ruixing Cinema Line targets the mid-to-high-end market, it has strict requirements for the construction of the cinema ecosystem, the professionalism of the management team, and the quality of service personnel.

Recruiting, training, and integration all take time, which is a major reason for the slowdown.

More importantly, the layout of real industries is far more complex than that of the internet, especially for nationwide chain industries.

Apart from first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, which are highly open and inclusive, market entry in other regions requires in-depth communication with local governments and local capital.

If there is resistance or deliberate obstruction at the local level, the difficulty of building the cinema will increase exponentially!

Ruixing Cinema ultimately lacks the natural advantages that Wanda has.

The cinema network in Lao Wang's area is mainly dependent on real estate projects.

Local leaders and officials, eager to achieve political achievements, welcomed the project with great enthusiasm, resulting in minimal obstacles to its implementation.

Ruixing Cinemas can only rely on its own brand influence and sincerity in cooperation to gradually break the ice, which will naturally be a difficult process.

Fortunately, the overall progress has been relatively smooth, and no insurmountable obstacles have been encountered.

According to the current plan, by the end of this year, before the release of "Pacific Rim", all the cinemas planned in the early stage of Ruixing Cinema Circuit will be completed and a complete cinema network will be formed.

At that time, films produced by Ruishijie will achieve the advantage of "self-sufficiency" in screenings.

They control the scheduling of their own films, ensuring prime time slots and high screening percentages.

How can its competitors, which are releasing at the same time, compete with it?
Thinking of this, Lü Rui couldn't help but smile.

He was well aware that the competition in the film and television industry was essentially a two-way battle between content and distribution channels.

He's now tackling both things well, and his future path will only become wider and wider!

……

Time flies, and it's already the end of August.

On the 25th, Liu Yifei celebrated her 20th birthday on the set of "The Witch".

Compared to the sensational celebration of her 18th birthday, her 20th birthday was not as lively, and not half of the entertainment industry came to celebrate with her.

However, things are quite lively on the film set as well.

In addition to the entire crew, Liu Xiaoli also brought several newly signed artists from Hongxingwu, which was a small surprise for her.

Both Wang Yuwen and Zhao Jinmai have placed their artist management contracts with Hongxingwu.

Meanwhile, after being thoroughly investigated by Liu Xiaoli, Zhang Yi successfully passed the review and officially became a member of Hongxingwu.

There's also Shu Chang. Her contract with her original agency expired at the beginning of the year, but because she was filming "Nanjing Photo Studio," she hadn't had time to find a new agency.

Her previous company was a terrible company, and she didn't want to renew her contract.

Now that Hongxingwu is expanding, she decided to sign with Liu Xiaoli as well, so they can look out for each other.

Despite being the same age as Liu Yifei and often portraying a lively and adorable character in dramas, she is actually quite mature and composed in real life due to her upbringing, which contrasts sharply with Liu Yifei's personality.

She doesn't actually have much ambition; after all, she only needs to feed herself.

Therefore, she didn't ask for much, only hoping that Liu Xiaoli could arrange a role for her from time to time so that her life wouldn't be too boring.

In contrast, Liu Yifei mostly plays goddess roles in dramas, such as Wang Yuyan and Xiaolongnu, which are well-known to many.

But in reality, she is very lively and even a bit goofy.

Especially in front of Lü Rui, he acts like a child who hasn't grown up.

So when Lü Rui returned to the film set and gave her a fluffy Ragdoll cat that a friend had bought from abroad as a birthday present, she jumped up immediately!
Wow! It's a kitten!

"Like it?"

"I love it! I love it so much! I love kittens the most!"

Liu Yifei carefully took the kitten, hugged it, and smiled, revealing her two little tiger teeth.

"It hasn't been named yet, so you can name it yourself."

After finishing speaking, Lü Rui turned around and walked towards Zhang Yi, Shu Chang, and the others, greeting them one by one.

"How's the filming going on at 'Nanjing Photo Studio'?" He first looked at Shu Chang.

"It went very smoothly." Shu Chang nodded and added, "Shen Ao went to attend the Huabiao Awards, and the entire crew got a three-day break."

"Ok, I know."

Lü Rui responded.

In fact, the Huabiao Awards also invited him to participate, but he didn't have any new works at the moment, and it just so happened to be Liu Yifei's birthday.

It is obvious which of the two matters is more important.

After chatting with Shu Chang for a few minutes, Lü Rui looked at Zhang Yi standing to the side and patted him on the shoulder: "Now that you've signed with the company, do a good job."

Also, remember to prepare your passport when you get back tonight. We're going to Venice tomorrow; I'll show you around.

"Yes, Director Lü!"

Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly, unable to hide his excitement!
Sure enough, he knew that choosing Red Star Dock was the right move!

"Here we go, time to blow out the candles!"

A staff member pushed over a custom-made birthday cake.

Seeing this, Liu Yifei quickly said, "Wait a minute, take a picture of me! I want to post it on my blog!"

"I'll take the picture for you."

Lu Rui took the camera from the photographer and pointed it at her.

Liu Yifei looked at it, and finally picked up a small cake from the tray. She then took a small red sugar flower from it and tucked it behind her ear. She tilted her head and winked at him, her smile sweet and lively.

With a "click," this beautiful and charming scene was captured forever.

"I'll cut the cake for everyone."

After taking the photos, she volunteered to pick up a knife and cut the cake into pieces, making sure everyone in the crew got a share.

Finally, she walked up to Lü Rui, holding the kitten and a piece of cake, and handed it to him, saying, "Senior, this is for you."

"Okay, thank you."

Lu Rui took the cake, his gaze falling on the kitten in her arms, and casually asked, "So? Have you named it yet?"

"Get up!"

Liu Yifei nodded, her bright eyes staring straight at him, her tone laced with a hint of slyness, "It's a little princess from abroad, so I gave it a foreign name, Annie."

"Annie?" Lu Rui repeated, feeling that it was a bit of a tongue twister.

“Yes,” she smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said each word clearly, “It’s Annie (I love you)~”

(End of this chapter)