The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

December 2008, 9.

Gu Ning walked into a small restaurant, looked around, and then went to a corner.

In the corner, a fat man was drinking alone. When he noticed someone sitting down opposite him, he looked up and saw Gu Ning. With a drunken, blurry smile, he forced one.

"What have you been up to lately? Come sit down and have a few drinks with me."

Liu Sanxi picked up the wine and poured a glass for Gu Ning, then raised his glass and said, "Come on, bottoms up."

Gu Ning silently picked up the glass, raised it in a gesture of respect, and then tilted his head back to drink it.

The spiciness hit her throat, and Gu Ning quickly picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the dish, and tried to calm herself down.

He had forgotten that he was no longer the man who frequently attended drinking parties and drank alcohol like water.

After finishing his drink, Liu Sanxi saw Gu Ning silently eating her food and couldn't help but say, "Aren't you going to show any concern for me? Ask me what's wrong?"

Gu Ning ate some peanuts and asked in a calm tone, "Your dad went bankrupt?"

"Your dad went bankrupt," Liu Sanxi said irritably.

"Since your dad didn't go bankrupt, nothing else matters to you."

Gu Ning poured wine for the two of them and took a small sip herself.

Liu Sanxi picked up his drink and downed it in one gulp, then said with a mournful face, "I've been dumped."

"I expected this." Gu Ning was not surprised to hear this.

Even if he hadn't been reborn, he knew from Liu Sanxi's previous relationship that it wouldn't last long.

"They say love grows over time, but a relationship of several years ended just like that."

Liu Sanxi became increasingly distressed as he spoke, and picked up a bottle of wine to pour himself a drink.

"Maybe it wasn't long enough," Gu Ning said.

"We've been together for almost three years, isn't that a long time?"

I'm not talking about the time we spent together.

"Isn't it the time we're supposed to be together?"

Liu Sanxi was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and cursed, "Damn it, I'll start at thirty minutes."

"Medical studies show that most obese people have poor stamina," Gu Ning said calmly.

"That's a natural talent, and as you said, it's the majority."

Liu Sanxi, disregarding his sadness, immediately began arguing with Gu Ning, as it concerned his male dignity.

"Feeling better now?"

Gu Ning poured him a glass of wine and said, "You're just crazy. If you just said you were the son of a coal mine owner, would he break up with you?"

"They're all after my money, what's the point?" Liu Sanxi said.

"Brother, a man either needs to be rich and have a good background, or he needs to be good-looking or talented."

"You're neither good-looking nor talented, and you hide your money. Why would anyone like you? Because you're fat or your feet smell?" Gu Ning said speechlessly.

He simply couldn't understand Liu Sanxi's thought process. His father was a coal mine owner, yet he wanted to pretend to be from an ordinary family, claiming he wanted to have a genuine college romance.

This wouldn't be surprising if it were any other school, but this is the Beijing Film Academy, and Liu Sanxi is dating a girl from the acting department.

Liu Sanxi said angrily, "That's enough! I've put up with you for too long."

Gu Ning didn't care at all and said to herself, "Aren't you also after her looks? One is after her looks, and the other is after her money. Everyone gets what they want, isn't that great?"

He and Liu Sanxi were classmates for three years and had a very close relationship. Later, when he had the idea of ​​becoming a director, it was Liu Sanxi who provided financial support for him.

In the end, he lost everything, but Liu Sanxi didn't blame him. He even said that the first time was a valuable experience, and he could come to him again if he had any ideas later.

"Following your logic, I might as well keep a few sugar daddies; at least they're obedient and well-behaved," Liu Sanxi said irritably.

"Congratulations, you've grasped the essence."

Gu Ning laughed and said, "If you already have money, why talk about feelings? Wouldn't that be a waste of your money?"

"Get lost! You have such a pretty junior chasing after you, of course you'll say nice things," Liu Sanxi said irritably.

Gu Ning laughed and said, "There's nothing I can do about it, what can I do when I'm so handsome?"

When it came to this, Liu Sanxi couldn't refute it and said with some jealousy, "It's such a waste that you're so handsome and didn't become an actor but instead studied photography."

Seeing that his mood had indeed improved, Gu Ning put away her smile and said, "Stop joking. I'm planning to direct a short film. Are you interested in investing in it?"

"You're going to direct a short film and invest in it yourself?" Liu Sanxi looked at Gu Ning in surprise.

Gu Ning shrugged and said, "Do you think I can get investment from elsewhere?"

"So you're here to trick me?" Liu Sanxi said disdainfully.

Gu Ning said, "If you don't want to invest, that's fine. I'm making an animated short film, and it's not expensive. I have the funds. It's just that, considering our relationship, I want to help you make some money."

"Who said I'm not voting!"

Liu Sanxi said, "It's just an animated short film, but I invested in it all."

Gu Ning said she would help him make money, but he didn't take it seriously at all. It's very difficult to make money by shooting short films in China.

This thing can't be shown in theaters, and nobody's buying the online rights.

An animated short film is nothing to him; he treats it as a game.

"Dream on. I'm planning to submit it to the Berlin Film Festival to win an award. If you invest all of it, wouldn't I be working for you?" Gu Ning said.

"Are you serious?" Liu Sanxi asked seriously.

Gu Ning said seriously, "Really, I've finished drawing the script and storyboards!"

"Where's the script?"

"In the dormitory."

"Walk!"

As Liu Sanxi spoke, he got up and called the boss to settle the bill, then returned to school with Gu Ning.

The two returned to their dormitory, where Gu Ning took out the script and storyboard.

Liu Sanxi took the script and even mocked Gu Ning a few times when he saw the title, but he was stunned after reading the brief plot.

It took her a while to come to her senses, and she looked at Gu Ning in disbelief: "You really wrote this script?"

"Of course, how could I possibly have bought it?" Gu Ning said naturally.

Although he copied it, how can a reborn person be called a copyist?

"I now believe this short film has the potential to win an award."

Liu Sanxi studied at the Beijing Film Academy for three years, and even if he just coasted through, he still learned something.

Although this short film is brief and contains no dialogue, it is thought-provoking.

"I'm planning to find an animation production company to make the fragments. Once the specific cost is determined, I'll give you 20%," Gu Ning said with a smile.

"I'll offer 50,000, only 20% of that. If I'm nominated, I'll cover my travel expenses."

Liu Sanxi said seriously, "Old Gu, I owe you a favor this time."

An animated short film doesn't cost much, but if it gets nominated, making money is guaranteed.

Of course, no matter how good the short film is, the money earned is limited, which is nothing to Mr. Liu.

Most importantly, he could prove himself to his father.

"good!"

Gu Ning nodded.

He couldn't possibly spend all 50,000, which means he made money even before the short film was finished.

"I've already found a few animation companies. Tomorrow, I'll trouble Young Master Liu to be my driver and take a look at a few of them," Gu Ning said with a smile.

"Let's go now."

Liu Sanxi pulled Gu Ning and walked outside.

"Forget it, we've all been drinking. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

Although drunk driving is not a criminal offense now, Gu Ning doesn't want to risk her life.

Liu Sanxi didn't care; drinking and driving is too common these days.

But Gu Ning firmly refused, and he simply suggested taking a taxi instead.

Gu Ning did not refuse this. Although there was still more than a month before the deadline for submission to the Berlin Film Festival, and there was no need to rush, it was better to submit sooner rather than later.