Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 110 Business Matters!

Cao Zhong was taken aback and carefully examined Fan Bingbing.

She rested one hand on her chin, turned her head to look at Director Cao with a playful expression, as if what she had just said was just a simple joke.

Her fingers were long and slender, white, like knotted scallions. Even without manicures, the knuckles displayed a layered beauty.

The evening light shone on her face, fully revealing the contours of her features.

Cao Zhong looked up from below.
Her face was a perfectly standard oval shape, with full facial lines and not an inch of excess. Her chin was partially obscured, but its delicate features were still evident; it was neither sharp nor rounded.
Her nose bridge was high, yet perfectly proportioned; even under the night lights, the bone structure of the other half of her face remained visible.

Even his forehead is perfectly proportioned, sculpted seamlessly into his bone structure, creating a striking three-dimensional effect that gives his entire face a bold and masculine air.

Her beautiful eyes, large and bright, looked at Cao Zhong with a mixture of reproach and shyness, perfectly complementing his striking face. Slightly upturned eyelashes, pink lips, and smooth, flawless skin with no visible pores made him appear radiant.

Her thick, black hair made her face reflect a soft glow.

Cao Zhong had to admit that it was a face that was completely flawless.

Even without any controversy, she is at the pinnacle of dazzling beauty.

Her relaxed and comfortable demeanor further enhanced the relaxing atmosphere of the room.

Fan Bingbing saw Cao Zhong staring at her without turning her head. Her gaze was aggressive and provocative as she stared straight at him.

Adding to that the flippant tone in his voice just now.

If this is a test,

Which director could withstand such a test?

Cao Zhong admitted that he did indeed feel a slight surge of adrenaline.
But he refused to relinquish control to Fan Bingbing.
He then looked at Fan Bingbing and asked with a light laugh, "What exactly does your studio do?"

"Can't I even crack a joke? I just wanted to say that you're very different from other directors," Fan Bingbing said with a wry smile.

"Although this is our first meeting, I have been following you, Director Cao, for a long time. From the headlines about my movie 'A Battle of Wits' to the headlines about my studio, and then to the legitimacy and award potential of my art films, I should have been the one to dominate the headlines, but you, Director Cao, have taken all the spotlight from me."

Director Cao, you have to make it up to me.

Fan Bingbing, already a leading actress, knew when to advance and when to retreat. Her breath was sweet as she pointed to the hurt Cao Zhong had caused her in the past.
But he deliberately left a hook, and his eyes seemed to glance at Cao Zhong's lower body a couple of times.
Especially the word "compensation," emphasized so much that anyone who didn't know better would think someone really owed her something.

She covered her face pitifully, expressing her sadness.

"Back then, Qiong Yao told me that I didn't need to act so hard, and that I should just be a supporting character and play the role of a maid."

She also said that in her heart, I would always be a maid.

When I arrived at Huayi, they all told me that Huayi only had one Bingbing, and the other was just Xiao Fan.

To prove myself, I worked hard on this path for three years, and then another three years.

This year, I finally made it into the three main competition sections, finally established my own studio, and finally signed contracts for four or five new films.

Then you turn around and promote a female lead who grossed 400 million yuan at the box office, putting all the other actresses, like Bingbing, under your feet.

Every time I see your name in the news, I feel like I could crumple it into a ball and eat it all up.

Director Cao, considering how hard I've worked, shouldn't you compensate me?

She took a few steps forward, getting very close to Cao Zhong, who could even smell the delicate fragrance emanating from her.

This made Cao Zhong click his tongue in admiration; Fan Bingbing's words were full of acting skills, clearly demonstrating her masterful tea-making abilities.
But it doesn't make people feel disgusted.

Her attitude, in particular, was all too obvious.

“I’ve never had the habit of making amends to others,” Cao Zhong said. “I only know how to criticize and hit people.”

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing's breathing became rapid.

Cao Zhong's words, once spoken, immediately reminded Fan Bingbing of Cao Zhong's past actions.
They crushed Jia Zhangke and Wang An, two Golden Lion Award-winning directors.

He was utterly invincible, his tactics were incredibly swift and decisive.
The official document left the entire entertainment industry speechless!

Tang Wei has a clean break; the soft ban can only prolong his life.
Although Liang Chaowei appears to be unaffected, his media attention has noticeably decreased recently.
Thinking of this, Fan Bingbing's eyes became even sharper and more piercing.
She had to seize Cao Zhong; this opportunity might only come once in a lifetime. Cao Zhong was young, and there were no rumors of any romantic involvement between them.
She was beautiful, and she didn't believe Cao Zhong could resist her.

In recent years, her role in the film "Cellphone" earned her the label of "mistress." Within Huayi Brothers, the irreconcilable conflict between her and Zhou Xun, along with Zhou Xun's deliberate smear campaign, including the release of several photos of her and Wang Zhonglei at a banquet, further cemented her "vixen" label, leaving her embroiled in negative publicity.

Lin Xinru's joining Huayi Brothers, where she plays Ziwei against Jin Suo, puts her in an extremely awkward position.

Overwhelmed by intense humiliation, her ambitions were beyond the capacity of this stage.

Although Mu Xiaoguang and Yang Tianzhen designed many plans for her, hoping to elevate her to a pedestal,
Yang Tianzhen, who is in charge of domestic affairs, wants to cultivate a "Fan Ye" (Master Fan) persona for her.
Mu Xiaoguang was in charge of external affairs and hoped to create an international image for her.

However, both of these matters are still uncertain at the moment, and it would be far less efficient to capture Cao Zhong.

If she wasn't content with chasing and climbing step by step, Cao Zhong was her only chance.
...If Cao Zhong could also make her a leading actress in films that gross hundreds of millions at the box office~
Fan Bingbing's heart trembled slightly. She reached out and wrapped her forearm around Cao Zhong's neck, whispering:
“I can criticize people, and you can hit me. My film ‘Apple’ belongs to the triple structure. I was wrong, I was terribly wrong. You can punish me just like you punished Jia Zhangke, Wang An, and Tang Wei.”

Cao Zhong looked at her pretty face with minimal makeup, and at the corner of her mouth where she was gently biting her lower lip. He couldn't help but smile, thinking about how Mei Ting always invited him to her house for dinner.

Fan Bingbing is more proactive.

He truly experienced the joy of directing; what was originally an ordinary script and dinner...
Unexpectedly, while the dinner was basic, the contents were anything but.

The compensation I just mentioned can turn into punishment in an instant; that mouth of hers!
Cao Zhong glanced at Fan Bingbing: "Are you sure you want to stay here?"

Fan Bingbing immediately understood, "The car will be here soon, and I'll personally take you home."

“I only have a dormitory at Beijing Film Academy,” Cao Zhong said.

“My home is your home.” Fan Bingbing seemed expressionless, with a broad smile.

After a while, Mu Xiaoguang and Yang Tianzhen found a driver. Fan Bingbing said she wanted to personally take Director Cao back to the Beijing Film Academy so they could discuss the script in more detail.

Then the car roared and headed straight for her home.

……

Fan Bingbing's house was very large. Along the way, Fan Bingbing kept trying to get closer to Cao Zhong, telling him a lot about the things Yang Tianzhen and Mu Xiaoguang wanted to do to her.

"I don't have a good public image right now, so they're very anxious, and so am I. I desperately need a good public image. But compared to all that, Director Cao, you're my lifeline. Can a few hundred million yuan compare to a good public image?"

Cao Zhong reached out and gestured past Fan Bingbing, who had just finished playing the flute.
Feeling his hair become smooth and silky, he thought to himself, "Fan Bingbing endorsing this shampoo really is a huge bargain for the shampoo company." He chuckled to himself.

"I'm just making a movie. Even if I win, I'll still be a novice director. I don't even know what will happen with the second one. How can you be sure it will make hundreds of millions? Besides, you can see the dark tide online."

"You're not a nobody, you're a good person."

He's also a formidable director.

After her shower, Fan Bingbing's eyes sparkled. Her bare face was exactly the same as when she wore light makeup; she still looked like a beautiful woman.
Her eyes sparkled, revealing a captivating allure and a hint of intoxication.
“I can tell that your new movie is completely different from what they're saying.”
You're just planning to let them revel on the sidelines, like at the Venice Film Festival. The more they celebrate, the more they'll become your stepping stones, right?

She knelt before Cao Zhong, her eyes brimming with adoration and worship.

The room was filled with the warmth of spring.

Suddenly, Fan Bingbing pointed to the glass door of the bathroom, grinning as she showed it to Cao Zhong.

"Director Cao, look, there are still two handprints there."

Cao Zhong said calmly, "I really didn't expect you to be so generous."

Fan Bingbing lowered her head, not answering, and carefully curled up against Cao Zhong's chest, playfully scolding:

"Director Cao, could you be a little gentler with people in the future? You showed no mercy at all. Although I said I could accept the punishment, you hit me way too hard. I feel like my skin is all swollen from the beating."

"You said it yourself, that you would criticize others for me, so I can punish you without hesitation."

Cao Zhong was somewhat displeased, "I punished you, but you didn't do your job."

"It might be a bit dry today," Fan Bingbing said coquettishly. "Maybe we'll be able to see it next time."

"But Director Cao is incredibly strong and powerful, he's truly amazing."

A few beads of sweat adorned Fan Bingbing's face, and her hair fell down, adding to her unique beauty.

After offering a few words of praise, she then reminded him,

"Director Cao, you need to take good care of yourself from now on. Look at this overwhelming wave of negativity online. If you want to make the movie, you'll have to put in a lot of effort from now on."

“I think you’re targeting me.” Cao Zhong glanced at Fan Bingbing.

"No," Fan Bingbing explained earnestly, "Your job has a harsh working environment and is so hard that you can't even buy a house. There's an old saying about it: 'Iron-bound official business.' This kind of work is naturally very tough. How can you have the energy if you don't eat?"

Fan Bingbing chuckled twice, her purpose clear:
"The more films Director Cao makes in the future, the more ice he can hug."

Cao Zhong glanced at Fan Bingbing suspiciously, then picked up his phone and searched for information.

Discovering that this is indeed an idiom, I couldn't help but feel that it was a wonderful thing.

Chinese culture is truly remarkable; we must learn from it, for there is no end to learning!

……

The next morning, Fan Bingbing, despite her slightly slow movements, drove Cao Zhong back to Beijing Film Academy.

"Director Cao, I know you're under a lot of pressure, and it puts a lot of pressure on me too, but I'll be there whenever you call."

As he left, Fan Bingbing expressed his sincere feelings.

At this point, the two of them no longer even bothered with yesterday's probing.

"Get ready, filming for 'We Live in Nanjing' will start soon."

Cao Zhongdao then added a sentence.

"Just do your best. I don't really have a concept of how much this movie will gross at the box office."

Fan Bingbing understood what Cao Zhong meant.

His expression was solemn.

……

Cao Zhong acted quickly.
He then spent several more days handling all the preliminary preparations for "We Live in Nanjing".

Wang Renjun was instructed to continue his attacks on Luo Taijun, hoping to provoke her into a rage.

He even personally used an account arranged by Wang Renjun to send him his best wishes, wishing him a life free of infertility but filled with children and grandchildren.
Afterwards, he went to Zhang Huijun and "persuaded" Zhang Huijun to let someone else cover for Wang Hongwei, ask for leave for Wang Hongwei, and prepare to go to Nanjing in a few days to prepare for the start of filming.

Group A goes first.
Group B still needs to build sets, and there are also new members joining the group after the set is completed.

Zhang Huijun also tried to persuade Cao Zhong to give up making Nanjing-themed films.
Seeing Cao Zhong's firm stance, he didn't dare to offer any further advice.
It merely expressed the Beijing Film Academy's absolute support for Cao Zhong, and reiterated the close relationship of the alliance.

A director with a budget of 400 million is the pride of Beijing Film Academy.

"You are a student of Beijing Film Academy and its pride. All the media outlets close to Beijing Film Academy will support you. I'm the one who calls the shots."

“The school magazine isn’t actually that important,” Cao Zhong said, “but thank you, Principal Zhang.”

Zhang Huijun: ...

In the final stages before filming began, Cao Zhong prepared to go to the Olympic bid film crew.

Cao Zhong thought he would spend about two days checking on the filming of "My Disqualified Daughter" and if there were any problems, he would help Shen Ao or Xu Zheng out.

This way, Cao Zhong won't have to worry too much.
We can also see how well Jing Tian is finding her footing in front of the camera now; her upcoming film will be quite a challenge for her.

Unexpectedly, he received a call from Wang Hongwei, who said there was a newcomer who wanted to meet him.

(End of this chapter)