Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 105 The Film Crew Reports for Duty
Hearing Jiang Yuanyuan's call, Liu Shishi, who had stopped, turned around and looked at her assistant's increasingly round face, and couldn't help but smile:
"Who told you to eat so much? You actually managed to eat two large servings of jianbing guozi. You can eat too much."

"Shishi, how could you say that to me? I'm very tired from filming with you, and I've already lost weight!"

Jiang Yuanyuan rolled her eyes. She had been filming with him, working from dawn till dusk every day, sometimes eating early and sometimes late, and she couldn't even eat on time.

Since becoming Liu Shishi's assistant and joining the film crew, she feels she has lost several pounds and doesn't look as plump as before.

Hearing Jiang Yuanyuan complain, Liu Shishi knew that she was indeed working hard on set, so she took her assistant's arm and said kindly, "Let's go, I'll buy you some snacks at the supermarket to help you recover."

The two walked hand in hand, happily purchasing snacks and daily necessities before arriving at Hengdian Tangrenguan, the film crew's reporting location.

Before the Xiaobailou was built, Tangren Museum housed a wealth of props, costumes, equipment, and film and television production supplies, making it Tangren Company's most important branch in Hengdian.

The production team of "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan" set the Tangrenguan (Tangrenguan) as the meeting place for the actors to register.

When Liu Shishi arrived at the Tangren Pavilion to report for duty, several actors, both men and women, were already chatting in the company's conference room, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Looking around the meeting room, Liu Shishi didn't go near the actresses; she didn't recognize any of the four actresses who had arrived earlier.

Liu Shishi has a slight social anxiety and felt awkward talking to strangers, so she ignored the other actresses and walked gracefully to Hu Ge, whom she knew best.

At this moment, Hu Ge was talking to two actors, both of whom spoke with a Taiwanese accent. Liu Shishi knew both of them; one of them was Peng Yuyan, who became famous for playing Tang Yu in "Chinese Paladin 1".

Another one is even more famous, He Rundong, who became popular all over the country with the TV series "Wind and Cloud".

Hu Ge spotted Liu Shishi and introduced her, saying, "Dong Ge, Yu Yan, this is my junior sister Liu Shishi. She plays Princess Chai in this drama."

He Rundong is tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a powerful presence. Although he is the most famous person in the entire crew, he is very approachable and friendly, with a faint smile on his face, and he doesn't put on any airs of a big star.

He jokingly said to the graceful Liu Shishi, "So it's your sister-in-law."

Peng Yuyan chimed in jokingly, "Seventh Brother greets Sister-in-law."

In the drama, Liu Shishi plays Princess Chai, who is the wife of Yang Liulang, played by Hu Ge, while He Rundong and Peng Yuyan play Yang Silang and Yang Qilang respectively.

Therefore, based on the relationships between the characters in the drama, it is perfectly acceptable for the two to call Liu Shishi "sister-in-law" and "sister-in-law" respectively.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi's expression changed drastically. She frowned and said coldly, "Teacher He, Teacher Peng, this is the play, but we are outside the play now. Please don't call me that. You can call me Shishi or Xiao Liu."

As Song Ci rose to become one of the top ten richest people in mainland China and his status became increasingly high, Liu Shishi became very careful about her behavior when interacting with other men.

Although He Rundong and Peng Yuyan were just joking around, nothing stays hidden forever. If it were to become a rumor about her and Hu Ge and be reported by the media, Song Ci would find out.

Even if Song Ci believed in herself, it would definitely displease her boyfriend, so Liu Shishi naturally tried her best to avoid such a thing from happening.

She has made up her mind not to act in any roles with intimate scenes, and she will treat even scenes with only ordinary physical contact with great care.

He Rundong was somewhat taken aback. He had heard from the introduction that the young girl and Hu Ge were from the same school and that they played a married couple in the drama. Given his usual casual nature, he had just made a joke, but he did not expect Liu Shishi to immediately turn hostile.

For a moment, he was completely baffled, wondering if he had said something that offended the girl, or if Hu Ge had offended the young lady and was caught in the crossfire.

However, He Rundong felt that he had been a bit rash in joking with a girl on their first meeting, so he apologized: "I'm sorry, Teacher Liu. It's nice to meet you. I'm He Rundong."

Peng Yuyan was at a loss when the woman confronted him. He had just made a casual joke with his senior, but he didn't expect the girl to be so displeased.

Seeing that He Rundong was the first to back down, Peng Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief. He was not as experienced as He Rundong and was not a top-tier figure in the industry.

He couldn't afford to offend any of Tangren Media's artists before filming even started, so he quickly tried to smooth things over with Liu Shishi: "I'm Peng Yuyan, hello Teacher Liu."

The two men's attitudes relieved Liu Shishi. She was inexperienced and didn't want to offend anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Hearing that the other party had made the first concession, she immediately put on a smile: "You two are too kind. Just call me Shishi. Please take care of me in the future."

Liu Shishi's sudden change in attitude was completely puzzling. He Rundong and Peng Yuyan exchanged glances, their doubts growing. They secretly guessed that the problem might lie with Hu Ge. Could it be that there was infighting among Tangren's own artists?
Hu Ge was also full of questions, wondering why the usually well-behaved Liu Shishi had just changed her expression. Her outward gentleness and inner strength in the face of her seniors was quite impressive.

However, what he had just witnessed reminded him that the girl seemed to have some reservations, and that even if they were familiar fellow disciples, he should be mindful of maintaining a certain distance in their interactions in the future.

After they got to know each other, there was a slight awkward silence. Liu Shishi knew that her preemptive remarks would definitely make people uncomfortable.

But sometimes one must make their stance clear. Not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of the three men, she said goodbye and left. Having lost interest in chatting with the others, Liu Shishi found a corner to sit down quietly.

Several more actors arrived one after another. Yuan Hong even came over and introduced two male actors, Chen Long and Song Yang, to Liu Shishi, quietly building up her network of connections.

While Liu Shishi sat quietly waiting, another person was also alone in a corner of the conference room.

Tong Yao looked at everyone in the conference room, chatting happily in small groups, and felt incredibly envious.

Unfortunately, because of the violent incident involving her ex-boyfriend Zhang Mo, her reputation was ruined. She was ostracized by the female artist circle and couldn't fit into the male actor circle. Everyone avoided her like the plague, and she could only sit alone in a corner.

Seeing Liu Shishi, who was also alone, he was extremely curious. After hesitating for a moment, he finally couldn't help but go up and strike up a conversation. She needed a middleman to help her quickly integrate into the film crew.

Her appearance reflected her inner self. Seeing that the girl had a gentle and pretty face, she figured she was not a difficult person to get along with. She decided to please her and get closer to her.

She had to make this friend on set, even if it was just a casual acquaintance. So Tong Yao mustered up her courage and stepped forward, feeling very nervous. She wondered if the girls knew her and if they would dislike her.

Liu Shishi was holding her face in her hands, ignoring the surrounding noise, and concentrating on one thing: her boyfriend's birthday was next month, and she was thinking about what gift to give him. She had been thinking for a long time but couldn't make up her mind, wondering if she should ask for other people's opinions. "Hello!" A clear greeting suddenly interrupted Liu Shishi's wandering thoughts.

Liu Shishi snapped out of her daze and looked up. She noticed that the actress who had been sitting in the opposite corner of the conference room had somehow come to her side.

Standing close by, Liu Shishi looked up and carefully examined the woman in front of her. She was wearing a fluffy, soft white down jacket, the short cut of which elongated her figure, making her look both neat and playful.

She wore a comfortable gray crew neck knit sweater underneath and slim-fit jeans on the bottom. The classic dark blue tone complemented the overall look perfectly, making her a youthful and energetic beauty.

"Hello." Liu Shishi responded with a smile, noticing the other person's intention to sit down and talk to her, she then moved her chair to make room for the other person.

Tong Yao sensed the girl's kindness and realized that the girl didn't seem to know her. Her eyes lit up and she quickly said, "My name is Tong Yao, and I play Pan Ying in the drama."

"I am Liu Shishi, playing Princess Chai." Unlike Tong Yao's poised and confident demeanor, Liu Shishi was somewhat shy when talking to a stranger for the first time.

Tong Yao became increasingly fond of the little girl. Princess Chai was one of the female leads in "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan," and her role was much larger than that of Consort Pan, whom she played.

One was innocent and romantic, the other was obsequious. They talked about everything from the weather to the latest TV dramas, and then to their respective hobbies. The distance between them quickly closed, and soon they started talking about some private topics.

It was rare to meet a woman of similar age with whom she could get along so well, so Liu Shishi asked Tong Yao about the problem she had been pondering: "Sister Yao, what do you think is a good birthday gift for a boy?"

Seeing the shy yet expectant expression on Liu Shishi's face, which made her look like a girl deeply in love, Tong Yao jokingly asked with a smile, "Is this for your boyfriend?"

Liu Shishi didn't want too many people to know she was in a relationship, so she gave a vague answer: "Just an ordinary friend."

Tong Yao rolled her eyes, secretly disdainful. This little girl was trying to play mind games with her. With your innocent, love-struck look, how could she not have a boyfriend?
Suddenly, she thought of her ex-boyfriend Zhang Mo, with whom she had a complete falling out and almost never spoke again. A trace of pain flashed in her eyes, and a sense of regret arose deep in her heart. Zhang Mo used to really like her and doted on her. Now things have turned out like this. Fate is cruel!

However, Tong Yao quickly became determined. She had already given so much, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and keep going in this industry. No matter the cost, she had to become famous.

At the same time, I felt a strange pity for Liu Shishi. As an actress, she started dating so early. How many people in the entertainment industry can weather the storms together and stay together?

However, he kept a smile on his face and did not point out Ms. Liu's attempt to cover up her true feelings: "What are your friend's hobbies, and what price range of gift are you planning to give? Let me give you some advice."

Liu Shishi racked her brains, realizing that her little brother seemed to have no other hobbies besides literature.

As for the price of the gift, that's even more of a headache. My boyfriend is quite wealthy now, so a cheap gift wouldn't be appropriate.

She's short on cash right now. The Longines watch she bought for Song Ci last Valentine's Day was bought with money she got from her mother. It seems she'll have to talk to Sister K and ask for an advance on her pay.

"He likes literature, and his budget is around ten thousand yuan!" Liu Shishi provided some information. Two heads are better than one, and she still hoped Tong Yao could offer some reasonable suggestions.

Tong Yao was slightly surprised by what the girl said. She was about to give a gift worth 10,000 yuan. She didn't expect the girl to care so much about her boyfriend.

After a moment's thought, I suggested, "Life is nothing more than food, clothing, shelter and transportation. The New Year is just over a month away. Why not give him a set of high-end winter clothes? It can be a birthday gift and your friend can wear it for the New Year. It's a win-win situation."

Liu Shishi thought about it and found that Tong Yao's suggestion was indeed good and close to life. On National Day, her lover would buy her a pair of high heels, and she would give him a set of winter clothes. It would complement each other perfectly.

Nodding in satisfaction, Liu Shishi beamed with joy, having solved a major problem in her mind: "That's a great idea, thank you, Sister Yao."

Seeing that Liu Shishi and she were getting closer, Tong Yao was also happy. It was a pleasant surprise that such a trivial suggestion had won the favor of the female lead.

I've been going through a tough time lately, with gossip constantly swirling around me. I need someone to confide in. Through our brief chat just now, I've discovered that Liu Shishi is indeed a guileless young woman, and I've decided to befriend her sincerely.

While the two were chatting, several more actors arrived. Apart from a few minor supporting actors with very few scenes, there were about twenty artists in the conference room, making it a lively and bustling place.

At 10 o'clock sharp, Cai Yinong brought the two to the conference room. Boss Cai was dressed in a professional white suit, looking smart, capable, and exuding the aura of a strong woman.

"Sister K!" "Hello, President Cai."

Upon seeing the producer arrive, everyone immediately stopped talking, exchanged greetings, and waited for her to speak.

Cai Yi-nong looked around at the room full of handsome men and beautiful women, and elite soldiers, and was immediately filled with confidence, thinking that the TV series would not have bad ratings after it aired.

This series, "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan," marks Tangren Media's first foray into collaboration with another company. Cai Yinong places great importance on it, and if it proves successful, she and Tangren Media will shift their business strategy and explore joint ventures to improve the company's film and television production efficiency.

When Cai Yinong's gaze swept over Liu Shishi, who was sitting intimately with Tong Yao, he was taken aback. How come his top female star seemed to have a good relationship with that vixen? The other party was famous and was disliked by Zhang Guoli, a big shot in the industry. He was afraid that she might cause trouble for him.

However, this is the actors' registration meeting, and the timing is not right. I can only suppress my doubts and wait for an opportunity to ask Liu Shishi in the afternoon.

Cai Yinong stood at the front of the conference room, clapped his hands, and after attracting everyone's attention, he began to speak:

"Thank you all for coming! Let me first introduce you. These two are the directors of this drama, Director Wei Hantao and Director Liang Shengquan."

After introducing the two directors and everyone else, Cai Yinong continued, "There are two more things to explain. We'll be here this afternoon to organize a script reading session."

This will allow everyone to get to know each other, read the script together, and find their footing so they can get into character quickly. Also, this drama has a lot of action scenes, so everyone will need to undergo some action training.

Everyone present had already prepared themselves for intensive training, and upon hearing this, they all expressed their determination to train strictly according to the production team's plan.

At this time, the actors were still very dedicated, and they would honestly and thoroughly carry out the crew's arrangements for reading sessions, training, and other activities.

(End of this chapter)