This top celebrity got drunk and acted crazy, and everyone in the Chinese entertainment industry bur

Gangzi and his team, who were investors, had already read the script for "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" that Lü Ming had given them, and had some understanding of the script's quality.

If they hadn't read the script and known it was a great piece, they wouldn't have invested so many resources in Lü Ming, no matter how much they admired him. After all, their money and resources didn't come easily.

In the novel "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City", besides the ordinary supporting characters and extras, the most important characters are the three main characters.

It has been confirmed that Lü Ming will play Hu Bayi. Gangzi and Hu Tao are not worried about whether Lü Ming can play the role well. Based on Lü Ming's previous acting skills, there will be absolutely no problem for him to play the role well.

Moreover, Gangzi and Hu Tao believe that the role of 'Hu Bayi' will definitely become another representative character for Lü Ming.

Besides Lü Ming, who is confirmed to play the male lead 'Hu Bayi', there are also Wang Pangzi and the female lead 'Shirley Yang' who are worth Gangzi and Hu Tao paying attention to.

What Gangzi and Hu Tao were particularly concerned about was who would play the female lead.

Gangzi and Hu Tao each had their own thoughts on this.

Like Hu Tao, he would prefer that Lü Ming choose a more famous actress, preferably a top-tier actress.

For Hu Tao, this was their first collaboration with Lü Ming on web dramas, and Hu Tao didn't want any setbacks. Even if it meant paying a little more money, Hu Tao didn't care at all.

As the leading video platform in China, Tencent Video has everything except money, not to mention its parent company which is even more financially secure.

Gangzi and Hu Tao had completely different ideas.

In Hu Tao's opinion, the role of 'Shirley Yang' didn't require a high level of acting skill; even an average actor could portray the character well.

Gangzi and his team had already tasted success with "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer," and Gangzi thought it would be best to invite Dilraba Dilmurat back to play the role of "Shirley Yang."

In that case, the hype alone would probably be enough to maintain the show's popularity throughout filming. As long as the quality isn't too bad, it's bound to be another hit.

However, the only thing that worried Gangzi was Dilraba's salary. You see, Dilraba now is not like before, when she could act for free.

Even if Dilraba agreed to act for free, I doubt Honey Sister would agree.

The immense popularity of "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" made Sister Mi regret it for a long time. Only Dilraba's rise to fame made up for it. Otherwise, Sister Mi would definitely have started cursing.

It's worth noting that although "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" had an investment of nearly 40 million yuan, which is an extremely high cost for a web series in China today, it is really insignificant compared to the subsequent revenue it generated.

According to Sister Mi's calculations, the entire "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" series generated at least a billion yuan in revenue. Although Lü Ming only received a portion of it, he still earned at least ten times the return.

That's a return of more than ten times!
Even the profits from robbing a bank probably couldn't compare to the earnings from "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer"!

If Sister Mi had been able to secure Lu Ming's "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" back then, Jiaxing Entertainment's valuation would probably have skyrocketed by now thanks to that one drama.

It's estimated that even the valuation disputes that Jiaxing is currently facing will no longer exist.

Before Lü Ming arrived, Hu Tao and Gangzi had been arguing about this for a long time, and neither of them could convince the other.

Although they said it, they knew they couldn't really decide anything. At most, they could only offer Lü Ming some advice. As for who Lü Ming would ultimately choose, that was up to him.

It's important to know that when they invested in Lü Ming, they had already signed a contract, handing over all the control over the project, including casting and filming, to Lü Ming. They would be responsible for subsequent publicity and other work.

"You've finally arrived!"

Upon seeing Lü Ming push open the door and walk in, Gangzi quickly pulled Lü Ming to sit down next to him, feigning intimacy, and then gave Hu Tao a provocative look.

Gangzi and Lü Ming had a certain relationship, from their early variety show appearances to their later collaboration on "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer".

If those variety shows were merely helping kiwifruit maintain its industry position, then "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" was a complete surprise for kiwifruit.

Even Gangzi, who had great confidence in Lü Ming at the time, did not expect "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" to be such a hit. It not only increased Kiwi's market share, but also took a big bite out of Tencent Video.

Not to mention the TV series "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer," in which Gangzi himself invested a portion and made a fortune.

For Gangzi, Lü Ming was not only their benefactor from the kiwifruit video business, but also Gangzi's benefactor.

In other words, the conditions offered by Tencent Video were simply too high, coupled with Lü Ming's suggestion. Otherwise, Gangzi would never have been willing to give Lü Ming to Tencent Video, even if it was just a form of cooperation.

Hu Tao looked at Gangzi's little tricks with a hint of disdain and didn't take them to heart at all.

It's just a trick played by the weak!
For Hu Tao, this collaboration was merely the first time that Tencent Video and Lü Ming had worked together.

If this new series, "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City," becomes as popular as "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer," then Tencent Video will naturally pay more attention to Lü Ming and increase its investment in him.

With the strength of Tencent Video, it's simply impossible for kiwifruit to compete.

There's no room for sentimentality in the business world!

Once Lü Ming sees the resources that Tencent Video can provide, he will naturally know how to choose.

"Brother Lü, what do you think of the female lead in your novel 'Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City'?"

"Any candidates you'd like to see? Don't worry about the pay, Tencent Video can continue to invest!"

After Lü Ming sat down, Hu Tao and the others exchanged a few pleasantries before asking Lü Ming a question.

"I have someone in mind, but I don't know what you all think!"

Lu Ming picked up the teacup in front of him, took a small sip, and looked at Hu Tao and Gangzi, whose faces were slightly anxious, before speaking to them.

"Who?"

Gangzi asked Lü Ming with a curious look.

"Nazha!"

Lu Ming looked at the two curious people in front of him and spoke to them calmly.

Naza? Upon hearing Lü Ming's words, both of them couldn't help but show some contemplation on their faces.

"Isn't her popularity a bit...?"

With a hint of hesitation on his face, Hu Tao asked Lü Ming.

In Hu Tao's opinion, although Nazha's popularity and buzz are decent due to her on-screen pairing with Lü Ming, she is still somewhat unqualified to star in "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City".

Looking at all the names that have been making headlines in the entertainment industry these days, which one can compare to Gulnazar?
Not to mention that Hu Tao still has some doubts about Nazha's acting skills.

Although the role of 'Shirley Yang' in 'Candle in the Tomb' doesn't require very high standards, it would certainly be better if the actress could also have some acting skills.

For Hu Tao, the choice of the female lead for Lü Ming was really not good enough.

This is the first collaboration between Tencent Video and Lü Ming, so success is the most important thing.

If the collaboration fails, not only will Tencent Video likely cease further investment in Lü Ming, but Hu Tao, as the driving force behind this partnership, will also face criticism.

Therefore, if possible, Hu Tao still hopes that Lü Ming will choose a more reliable candidate.

You should know that there are many people outside who want the role of 'Shirley Yang' right now, including some outstanding actresses with excellent acting skills and top-notch fame. Even if Lü Ming is not satisfied with these people, he can still replace them.

Looking across the entire industry, Hu Tao and his team can get any female celebrity Lu Ming wants, except for a few.

"Yup!"

Gangzi nodded in agreement, unusually siding with Hu Tao. Then, as if remembering something, he glanced at Lü Ming and said, "Of course, I'm not saying Nazha isn't good enough, but there are clearly other better options, like Dilraba!"

Not only Hu Tao, but even Gangzi was somewhat puzzled by Lü Ming's choice.

Just like Gangzi said, it's not that Nazha is bad, but there are clearly other better options.

"Gentlemen, our original contract clearly stated that I would make all the decisions regarding casting!"

After hearing what the two said, Lü Ming shook his head and addressed them.

Upon hearing Lü Ming's words, the two were slightly taken aback, only then realizing that when they signed the contract, they had already given Lü Ming all the rights to decide on casting. Now, their words were somewhat overstepping their authority.

It's worth noting that when Lü Ming was discussing cooperation with them, he specifically stated that he had to make the decision on the casting, and they were not allowed to interfere; otherwise, Lü Ming would rather not cooperate.

After all, given the success of Lü Ming's previous work, "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer," and the money he had at the time, Lü Ming wasn't worried about finding a place to stream his work online.

If Lü Ming had just made that announcement, platforms like Youku would probably have been eager to collaborate with him immediately.

Despite the circumstances, the two still harbored some concerns, fearing that Nazha's status wasn't enough to carry such a role.

After all, the current Lü Ming is different from the one before. The previous "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" is also different from the upcoming "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City".

The original "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" didn't receive much attention, and iQiyi didn't invest many resources in it, so even though they chose Dilraba Dilmurat and some relatively unknown new actors, not many people cared.

But things are different now. For this "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City", iQiyi and Tencent Video have invested a lot of resources. The initial promotion and funding alone is a considerable investment.

For Gangzi and his team, they invested so many resources in the hope of achieving success, not because they were willing to risk failure.

"My two older brothers, you're overthinking things!"

Seeing their expressions, Lü Ming knew that they had some doubts and confusion. Although Lü Ming could force them to agree to let Nazha play the role of the female lead 'Shirley Yang' through the contract.

However, Lü Ming didn't want to cause a huge fuss with Gangzi and the others over such a small matter, so he decided to tell them his thoughts.

Lü Ming's choice of Gulnazar to play the female lead 'Shirley Yang' in "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" was not arbitrary.

While his relationship with Nazha was a factor, it wasn't without other considerations.

"How to say?"

After hearing what Lü Ming said, Gangzi asked Lü Ming a question.

Compared to Hu Tao, Gangzi had a better relationship with Lü Ming and knew that Lü Ming wasn't the kind of person who made decisions without considering the consequences. So, with a hint of doubt in his heart, he asked Lü Ming.

"Gentlemen, you've both read the script. What do you think of it?"

Instead of answering Gangzi's question, Lü Ming asked the two of them.

"Great notebook!"

After hearing Lü Ming's question, the two nodded in agreement.

Gangzi has been in this industry for quite some years and has read at least several hundred, if not thousands, of books, especially the most popular ones. He has a certain level of appreciation for literature, so when he saw Lü Ming's "Ghost Blows Out the Light - The Ancient City of Jingjue" book, he immediately recognized it as a good book that told a good story.

As for Hu Tao, although he didn't know much about it, he did have people under him who could appreciate it.

When Hu Tao handed over the script, his subordinates immediately said that the script was of very high quality and had a great storyline, even better than the script for "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer".

This is why Hu Tao chose to invest in Lü Ming!
If Lü Ming's script wasn't good, even if Lü Ming played a role in it, Tencent Video might still invest in him, but it definitely wouldn't be as much of a resources as it is now.

"That settles it then. With a good notebook and me, what are you worried about?"

Lu Ming said to the two of them with a confident expression, "With my current acting skills, I have absolutely no worries."

Not to mention the success of "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" in its previous life, which already proved everything. It didn't have much promotion in its previous life, yet it still achieved such good results. Now, it has so many resources invested by iQiyi and Tencent Video.

To put it bluntly, given the current situation, Lü Ming really doesn't know how he could possibly lose. (End of Chapter)