Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 234 Wishful Thinking
In the dead of winter, a biting wind howled across the land of Hubei Province.

In December, Wudang Mountain is already covered with a thin layer of snow, resembling a natural ink painting.

The rolling, majestic peaks appear even more solemn amidst the snow-covered landscape.

The morning mist swirls among the valleys, adding a dreamlike and ethereal beauty to Wudang Mountain, captivating visitors and inspiring longing.

Zhang Jizhong had a keen eye and immediately recognized the unique historical significance and beautiful scenery of Wudang Mountain. Despite opposition, he arranged for the crew of the new version of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" to travel thousands of miles to this location for filming.

Outside the film crew's location, people came and went, creating a bustling scene.

After a brief conversation, the stagehand looked at the two people behind Liu Shishi with curiosity: "Teacher Liu, who are they?"

Tangren's top female star, dressed in a snow-white down jacket, blended seamlessly with the surrounding snowy scenery. When asked by the stagehands, she smiled and said, "They are my assistants."

Liu Shishi was extremely gentle and showed no displeasure whatsoever at being kept outside by the staff due to the freezing weather.

Before she left, Cai Yinong repeatedly told her that filming outside was not the same as before, and that she should be careful of people and things, try to be kind to others, and take good care of herself.

The top actress kept K-sister's advice to heart. Since her debut, she has basically only filmed for Tangren and Tengda productions. In both productions, she has always been the darling of the industry and has never suffered any grievances.

This time, she went to Wudang Mountain to make a guest appearance in the "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" drama crew. She was unfamiliar with the place and people, and no one knew her background, so she naturally had to be careful and try not to offend anyone.

Upon hearing Liu Shishi's answer, the stagehand subconsciously scratched his head, secretly thinking to himself that the female star in front of him certainly had quite the entourage.

He had worked on several film crews, but this was the first time he had ever seen a celebrity make a cameo appearance, complete with two assistants.

However, this had nothing to do with him. He had already wasted a lot of time questioning the other party's identity, so he quickly stepped aside to make way.

He gestured for her to come in and said, "Teacher Liu, please come in. Producer Zhang and Director Yu are waiting for you. Just keep walking along this path."

Liu Shishi nodded gently and led Jiang Yuanyuan and Lin Xia along the winding path, heading straight into the film crew's location.

Jiang Yuanyuan was furious after being kept out of the cold by the inflexible stagehands.

With no one around, she couldn't help but complain, "It's so cold up here! How could the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre' crew have chosen this godforsaken place to film! It's such a torture."

"I guess you're drawn to the unique scenery here. Okay, hang in there, we'll be there soon. Yuanyuan, don't complain like that in front of strangers, you'll just offend them for no reason."

Jiang Yuanyuan pouted, shrinking her neck while rubbing her hands together to warm herself up: "Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Lin Xia leaned over, her face full of flattery: "Sister Yuanyuan, I have some hand warmers here, do you want one?"

Jiang Yuanyuan shook her head: "Leave them all for Shishi. It's too cold on the mountain. Shishi will definitely freeze to death when she changes into her light costume."

The three walked and talked, and soon arrived at the film set. Looking up, they saw a man with a full beard standing not far away waiting. The man was none other than Zhang Jizhong, a well-known producer in the industry.

Liu Shishi quickened her pace and hurried forward: "Hello, Producer Zhang, I am Liu Shishi."

Zhang Jizhong laughed and said, "Welcome, Teacher Liu, to make a guest appearance in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre' production team. The mountain road is difficult to travel, and you must have had a long journey."

As he spoke, his gaze subtly swept over Tangren Media's top female star and her two assistants behind her, secretly surprised by how much Tangren Media valued the young girl, having assigned two assistants to accompany her closely.

He had just received a report from his staff that the actress playing Huang Shangnu had arrived. Since he had invited her through connections, he naturally had to be polite, so he waited for her here.

"Producer Zhang, you're too kind. Just call me Shishi." Liu Shishi smiled sweetly, revealing two shallow dimples on her delicate face, making her appear kind and charming.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jizhong let out another hearty laugh, his spirited voice echoing through the mountains.

Nodding in satisfaction, the young girl was very modest and seemed to have a good personality. It seemed that her guest appearance for a week wouldn't cause any trouble for the crew.

He was just being polite during our first meeting. Given his status in the industry, let alone a young actress, even the most outstanding actresses wouldn't be qualified to have him call him "teacher."

Zhang Jizhong turned slightly to the side and pointed in the direction of the rest area: "Shishi, Director Yu is busy coordinating on set right now. You can go and rest for a while. After he finishes and sees you, he will arrange for you to have a makeup test. I have something to do, so please excuse me for a moment. Call me if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Producer Zhang." Liu Shishi nodded obediently, following the host's instructions.

After Zhang Jizhong walked away, Jiang Yuanyuan leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Shishi, he's the well-known Zhang the Bearded Man in the industry. Everyone says he's a domineering person, but he seemed quite amiable just now."

"We were invited by him to make a cameo appearance, why should he be so domineering towards us?"

After saying that, the eldest sister looked around and, seeing that no one was around, whispered, "Zhang Jizhong is quite shrewd. He used all sorts of hype when casting for 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'."

Today they invite this actress to audition, tomorrow they drag that artist to rehearsals, and they even invited award-winning actress Zhou Xun to the set, but in the end they didn't cast her. Because of this, they completely fell out with Zhou Xun.

“I’ve also heard about this. Rumor has it that Zhang Jizhong has very high standards for actors. He felt that Zhou Xun was not suitable for the role of Xiaolongnu, and in the end, he chose Liu Yifei for the audition.”

“Auditions are all a charade. The role of Little Dragon Girl had already been cast with Liu Yifei, so Zhou Xun never spoke to Zhang Jizhong again after she found out the truth.”

Liu Shishi scoffed. Since she entered the entertainment industry, all the auditions she had gone through had been pre-arranged.

I've talked with Yang Mi and Tang Yan on set before, and we all know that auditions are a big deal. Most production teams are like that, and there are very few that can truly conduct auditions fairly and impartially.

Actually, it's understandable when you think about it. People invest tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in big productions, why should they give the roles to outsiders for free? If good acting skills are all that matters, what's the point of having an agency?

"It was decided a long time ago! Isn't that just playing with Zhou Xun? Zhou Xun is a top actress in the industry, Zhang Jizhong wouldn't do that, would he?"

The eldest sister whispered, "I'll tell you something, and you'll understand. Zhang Jizhong is a shareholder of Liu Yifei's agency, Red Star Entertainment, so you get it now."

"This!" Jiang Yuanyuan's mouth gaped open in surprise. She wasn't a complete novice in the industry; she knew a thing or two about the ins and outs of it. Zhang Jizhong clearly had no reason to give resources to an outsider. Lin Xia, on the other hand, was dumbfounded, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

The three quickly arrived at the rest shed. Because of the freezing weather and howling wind, the rest shed of the "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" crew was specially covered with thick, rainproof tarpaulin to effectively block the cold wind and keep them warm.

When Liu Shishi lifted the curtain and entered the makeshift rest shed, she found a male actor inside, dressed in a theatrical costume with a large, thick fur coat draped over his shoulders, looking down at the script.

Hearing the noise, the man looked up, his eyes suddenly lit up, and a bright smile spread across his face.

Upon seeing that the visitor was Liu Shishi, she immediately closed the script and said excitedly, "Hello, Liu Shishi, my name is Li Tai."

Faced with the overly familiar man, Liu Shishi was slightly taken aback, subconsciously taking a step back, an awkward expression appearing on her face. She was clearly not used to such enthusiasm on their first meeting, and a hint of wariness showed in her eyes.

Realizing she had been too enthusiastic, Li Tai quickly introduced herself: "Liu Shishi, I play Song Qingshu in the drama. It's quite a coincidence that I also graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy, one year ahead of you. I was a little excited to meet you, fellow alumni."

"Hello, senior." Liu Shishi smiled shyly, still with a hint of wariness.

"Junior Sister Liu, please have a seat." Li Tai pulled over a chair and glanced at the two people following Liu Shishi. "I'll go get you some hot water. It's freezing cold, have some hot water to warm yourselves up."

After saying that, he hurriedly turned around, picked up the water bottle, and busied himself looking for a water cup and pouring water, showing great enthusiasm.

Jiang Yuanyuan chuckled softly and whispered in Lin Xia's ear, "Xia, as the saying goes, 'He who is overly solicitous is either up to no good.' Believe it or not, he has ulterior motives towards Shishi."

Lin Xia thought about it and nodded in agreement. Li Tai's behavior just now was too enthusiastic, and it was obviously not something that could be explained by simply saying that they were alumni.

One cannot refuse a smiling face, and Liu Shishi could not refuse the warm hospitality, so she accepted the water cup that Li Tai brought her, but did not drink it, only letting the warmth pass through her palm.

Li Tai sat down to the side, seemingly oblivious to Liu Shishi's coldness, and said to herself, "Junior sister, I'm from the Musical Theatre major of the 01 class at Beijing Dance Academy. I even saw you perform at school... It's fate that we met on set."

Liu Shishi didn't answer, but just listened quietly, her eyes somewhat unfocused, not paying much attention to what Li Tai said.

Li Tai was burning with passion and did not back down at all because of Liu Shishi's silence. He talked on and on, from the campus to the film crew, trying every means to get close to Liu Shishi and try to build a relationship.

Ever since he learned that Liu Shishi was going to make a cameo appearance in the drama, he planned to use her status as an alumnus of the Beijing Dance Academy to get close to and pursue Tangren's top female star.

Liu Shishi and Lü Yi were the two most beautiful girls at the Beijing Dance Academy, known as the "Two Beauties of the Academy." Countless men admired them during their school days.

Liu Shishi's looks and temperament are undoubtedly top-notch; winning her heart would be a source of immense pride. Moreover, her career is thriving, making her a rising star.

It's widely rumored within the industry that Liu Shishi has close ties with Tengda Culture and is known for her access to resources. If you could get close to her, you might be able to secure some good opportunities.

"Junior sister, if you need anything on set, you can come to me directly."

"Thank you, senior." The woman didn't say much, and her tone was distant. The steam from the water glass in her hand swirled in front of her, obscuring her face. It was as if an invisible barrier separated her from Mrs. Li.

Li Tai didn't take Liu Shishi's cold attitude to heart. Everyone at the Beijing Dance Academy said she was rather introverted and a slow-to-warm-up type. It was only their first meeting, so her slight coldness was normal. Besides, how could one pursue a girl without being thick-skinned?

At that moment, someone lifted the curtain, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making the people inside shiver.

The man glanced around the rest area and said to Liu Shishi, "Hello, Ms. Liu, I am Jiang Wei, the assistant director of the crew. Director Yu asked me to take you to try on your makeup."

Liu Shishi put down her water glass and said gently and politely, "Thank you, Director Jiang."

Li Tai volunteered: "Director Jiang, leave this to me. I'll take Junior Sister Liu to the dressing room."

Jiang Wei glanced at Li Tai, knowing exactly what the kid was up to, and casually instructed, "You're about to start filming, go to the set and wait there, make sure you film your scene well first."

Mrs. Li's smile vanished abruptly, and she left for the film set sullenly, not forgetting to call out before leaving, "Junior Sister Liu, let's chat again after I finish filming."

Seeing Li Tai slink out of the rest tent, Jiang Wei couldn't help but smile contemptuously, his disdain overflowing: "A toad trying to eat swan meat, doesn't even know its own limitations."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuanyuan and Lin Xia covered their mouths and chuckled, thinking that the young assistant director was both straightforward and interesting, and that he understood Mrs. Li's thoughts perfectly.

"Teacher Liu, you can contact me anytime if you need anything on set these days. Ma Xin and I are classmates at the Central Academy of Drama. You should understand what I mean."

Liu Shishi was taken aback, but then she understood everything and smiled brightly: "Thank you for your help this week, Director Jiang."

Jiang Wei waved his hand, his face sincere: "No way, you are a distinguished guest of the crew. I may need your help in the future, Teacher Liu."

A few days ago, he suddenly received a call from his old classmate Ma Xin. His old classmate spoke earnestly, asking him to take good care of Liu Shishi in the film crew. He also bluntly told him that Liu Shishi had connections with a powerful figure behind her, and that he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Jiang Wei naturally dared not relax his vigilance in the face of Ma Xin's serious reminder, who was the most successful person in the class in the entertainment industry. That's why he had just sent Li Tai away and was preparing to personally accompany Liu Shishi to the dressing room.

The two left the temporary tent and chatted as they walked. Liu Shishi took the opportunity to ask the assistant director about the film crew.

"Producer Zhang and Director Yu are long-time collaborators in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre' production team. Among the cast, the biggest stars are Deng Chao and An Yixuan, while the other actors are all relatively unknown and minor figures in the industry. Producer Zhang's ability to invite you to make a cameo appearance has certainly added a lot to 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre'."

Jiang Wei introduced the crew's situation, subtly expressing his disdain for the actors while cleverly flattering the leading lady.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't envious of his old classmate Ma Xin's current situation. Everyone in their class of directing graduates longed to become a director and lead a film crew.

But reality is often cruel. Apart from Ma Xin, who was spotted by a benefactor and cultivated by Tengda Culture, successfully becoming a director, most of them are still hanging around on film sets, doing jobs like assistant directors and production assistants.

Regardless of his background, the person in front of him already has considerable popularity and fame in the entertainment industry at his age, which is enough to make him worthy of his attention.

(End of this chapter)