Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 339, Section 337: Old Han, Questioning Life
The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year has not completely dissipated, and the air still retains a faint smell of smoke from the firecrackers.

The date was the seventh day of the first lunar month, which was January 30, 2001 in the Gregorian calendar.

Businesses across Beijing have gradually emerged from the sluggishness of the Spring Festival holiday and resumed their usual rhythm and vitality.

On the ninth floor of Jingxin Building, in the office area of ​​Shengying Media, although not as tense as usual, it was still a busy scene.

The employees greeted each other with "Happy New Year," exchanged local specialties brought from their hometowns, and their conversations still carried the lingering festive spirit, but their work was already proceeding in an orderly manner.

Wang Sheng arrived at the office on time.

Li Tingting summoned the core members of the company's comedy writing team to the conference room.

The meeting room was well-heated.

Without any further pleasantries, Wang Sheng directly distributed the printed outline.

"This is the framework of a road comedy, tentatively titled 'Lost in Thailand'," Wang Sheng said succinctly. "The core is just one word: '囧' (jiong, meaning awkward or embarrassed)."

A successful boss and a nobody from the bottom of society unexpectedly travel together on the eve of the Spring Festival, encountering all sorts of unforeseen predicaments and troubles along the way.

The tone is that of a down-to-earth, realistic comedy, aiming to evoke both laughter and tears, showing the hardships and warmth of ordinary people, and the kindness between people.

He roughly described the character settings of the two core characters, Li Chenggong and Niu Geng, as well as several key plot points such as the plane returning to its origin, the train encountering a landslide, changing to a slow train, and encountering a "female swindler".

"The core of the story is to showcase the various aspects of society through the chaos and upheaval along the way, ultimately focusing on the themes of human warmth and returning home for the Chinese New Year."

Comedy punchlines should come naturally, arising from the situation and the characters' personalities; don't force them.

Wang Sheng emphasized, "You can refine the specific details and character arcs. I want to see vivid characters and a solid script."

Several key members of the writing team quickly skimmed through the outline.

They could sense that although the project was simple in concept, it was full of dramatic tension and comedic potential. It was a very pure genre film, and it closely followed the "Spring Festival travel rush," a social phenomenon with distinctive Chinese characteristics, so the sense of resonance would definitely not be weak.

"Mr. Wang, this direction is fantastic! It's down-to-earth and resonates with everyone!" The team leader exclaimed excitedly. "We guarantee we'll produce the first draft of the script as soon as possible!"

"Time is of the essence, but quality cannot be compromised." Wang Sheng nodded. "Feel free to communicate any ideas you may have."

After dismissing the screenwriting team, Wang Sheng pressed the internal phone: "Tingting, notify Guo Liang from the theatrical film division to come to my office."

A short while later, Guo Liang, the director of the theatrical film division, strode in.

"Happy New Year, Mr. Wang!"

"Happy New Year." Wang Sheng handed him another, more concise project proposal. "Lost in Thailand, a road comedy, targeting this year's Lunar New Year season. The scriptwriting team is already polishing the script. You should immediately start the project initiation process and complete it by the middle of next month."

"Understood! I'll organize a project feasibility study meeting immediately and start preliminary preparations." Guo Liang agreed without hesitation.

"Ah."

Wang Sheng handed over another piece of paper, "These are the preliminary casting options for the roles."

……

After finishing the project approval process for "Lost in Thailand," the morning was almost over.

Wang Sheng had a simple lunch.

At 2 p.m., his car drove out of the Jingxin Building, heading towards China Film Group.

In the modern-looking building of China Film Group, Wang Sheng easily found his way to Han Sanping's office.

Compared to the modern feel of Shengying Media, the decor here is more understated and sophisticated.

"Shengzi's here? Please have a seat." Han Sanping smiled when he saw Wang Sheng and personally got up to make him tea. "How was your New Year?"

"Just like that, eating and drinking, looking at the projects." Wang Sheng sat down on the sofa, took the teacup, and said, "Uncle Han, you look great. It seems you took a good rest during the New Year."

"It's alright, it can't compare to you young people."

Han Sanping waved his hand, sat down opposite him, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then became serious. He picked up a bound project proposal from his desk and handed it to Wang Sheng.

"Look at this, it was just delivered to me not long ago."

Wang Sheng took it, and the large title on the cover caught his eye—"Hero" Project Proposal. Han Sanping briefly introduced the background: "It's mainly Jiang Zhiqiang of Edko Films in Hong Kong pushing this, with Zhang Weiping from New Pictures involved. The director is Zhang Yimou. The script is roughly a story about assassinating the Qin emperor, and the style... well, they say they want to create an epic Eastern martial arts film with international standards. The initial budget is estimated at twenty to thirty million... US dollars."

When he spoke of the budget, his tone became noticeably more serious, carrying a hint of caution and doubt.

"Chen Kaige's 'The Emperor's Shadow' was a big investment, but it flopped both domestically and internationally, resulting in huge losses. I've always been a bit worried about it."

Han Sanping sighed and said, "Look at Zhang Yimou's recent Lunar New Year film season. 'Happy Times' only grossed a few million at the box office and was pulled from theaters early due to audience backlash."

These big-name directors certainly have artistic aspirations, but this market… I'm genuinely a bit scared. Investments are often hundreds of millions of yuan; if they fail again, the pressure will be immense.

He looked up at Wang Sheng, his gaze filled with inquiry and an indescribable reliance: "Shengzi, you have a sharp eye and a quick mind. Analyze this 'Hero' project for me. Is it worth investing in? How risky is it?"

Wang Sheng quickly flipped through the proposal, in which the ideas about grand scenes, star-studded lineups, visual aesthetics, and entering the international market were already taking shape.

He knew in his heart that this was the film that ushered in the era of Chinese blockbuster movies, but also sparked huge controversy in terms of word-of-mouth.

He closed the proposal, casually placed it on the coffee table, and looked at Han Sanping with a peculiar smile: "Uncle Han, what a coincidence."

"Huh? What a coincidence?" Han Sanping was taken aback.

"I've been thinking about that too. I'll shoot a period epic this year and release it next year." Wang Sheng's tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable certainty.

Han Sanping's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward involuntarily: "Oh? You're going to film a period drama? What genre? The assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang? The Three Kingdoms? Water Margin?"

He threw out a series of questions, showing his great interest.

In his mind, Wang Sheng's success rate was much higher than Zhang Yimou's current uncertain state.

Wang Sheng shook his head and uttered three words: "Brotherhood of Blades".

"Embroidered Spring Blade?"

Han Sanping frowned slightly. The name carried obvious characteristics of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, but it was not one of those well-known grand historical narratives.

“Yes.” Wang Sheng picked up his teacup and blew on it gently. “We won’t talk about kings and generals, or about the state of the country. We’ll just talk about the late Ming Dynasty, when Emperor Chongzhen had just ascended the throne and was trying to settle scores with the eunuch Wei Zhongxian. The main characters are three lowly people—the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

He put down his teacup and began to sketch out the blueprint for the story: "Lu Jianxing, Shen Lian, and Jin Yichuan, three sworn brothers, all serve in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The eldest brother, Lu Jianxing, wants to be promoted to fill his father's vacancy as a centurion. He is steady but a bit pedantic. The second brother, Shen Lian, is skilled in martial arts and has a deep mind. He has fallen in love with a woman from a brothel and wants to redeem her. The third brother, Jin Yichuan, used to be a bandit and has a hidden illness. He is being extorted by his senior brother.

They were like three insignificant cogs in the vast power machine of the Forbidden City.

Wang Sheng's tone was unhurried, yet possessed a unique allure: "The story begins with their mission to hunt down the eunuch Wei Zhongxian."

But they soon discovered that this was not a simple task at all; they were caught up in a bloody struggle between the remnants of the Donglin Party, the eunuch faction, and even higher levels of power.

The powerful figures at the top manipulate events, while ordinary people become pawns, easily sacrificed and exploited by various factions.

"What we're going to film isn't the kind of martial arts film where people fly around and unleash their inner energy indiscriminately," Wang Sheng emphasized. "It's a realistic action style that emphasizes the fighting between the Embroidered Spring Blade and the Goose Feather Blade, the standard weapons of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The action design needs to be sharp, fierce, and in accordance with the laws of physics, highlighting the cruelty and tension of licking blood from the edge of a blade."

At its core, the story revolves around three ordinary men struggling to survive amidst the cutthroat competition and power struggles of a dark era. It explores how their brotherhood and personal desires are distorted, deformed, and tested under immense pressure.

He looked at Han Sanping, who was listening intently, and summarized: "This movie may not be large in scale, but the story must be solid, the characters must be believable, the action must be visually appealing, and the atmosphere must create the sense of impending doom and oppressive atmosphere of the late Ming Dynasty."

It explores fate, choices, and the glimmer of humanity in dire straits. The investment doesn't need to be as large as "Hero," but we need to spend every penny wisely: good costumes, props, action choreography, and telling a good story.

The office was quiet for a moment.

Han Sanping slowly leaned back on the sofa, his eyes gleaming. He understood what Wang Sheng meant.

Wang Sheng is not optimistic about the path taken by "Hero" in pursuing a grand narrative and an international perspective; in other words, he believes that path is too risky.

He chose a more stable path, which may also better reflect his personal style and control – focusing on genre, high-quality products, and cultivating the local market.

"Small characters...power struggles...realistic action..."

Han Sanping nodded slightly: "Good! This approach is good! It's down-to-earth and has substance! It's more real than those empty grand narratives! I think we won't vote for 'Hero'."

Afterwards, Han Sanping chatted with Wang Sheng about the Lunar New Year film season.

(End of this chapter)