The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

Gu Ning glanced at a certain spot and noticed that it was indeed very round.

"I'll call you Sister Yuanyuan."

Gu Ning asked, "What does Sister Yuanyuan want with me?"

"I took on that film directed by Lu a few years ago, and I didn't know about the conflict between Director Gu and Director Lu..."

"Sister Yuanyuan is joking."

Gu Ning interrupted her, smiling slightly, "I have great respect for Senior Brother Lu, so there's no conflict between us."

"Well…"

Even though Gao Yuanyuan had been in the industry for so many years and was used to speaking to people in a way that suited them, she was speechless for a moment after Gu Ning's words.

Now that it's just the two of them, normally, even if Gu Ning doesn't admit it, he'll remain silent and listen to her finish.

But as soon as she opened her mouth, Gu Ning interrupted her. His expression and tone would have made anyone who didn't know the inside story believe it was true.

Please, which of us is the actor?

Gao Yuanyuan was at a loss for words.

She gained fame with "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", but she hasn't had any major hit works in recent years.

Mainland Chinese actors around the turn of the millennium, especially actresses like her, were somewhat born at the wrong time.

The best resources and top actors in the industry are mostly from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

There is a significant gap in the number of directors from mainland China.

Either they're big directors like Zhang Yimou or Chen Ziyi, whose fame is so great that they wouldn't even look at her acting skills.

She either looks down on some unknown new directors.

Although the photo scandal completely brought down the already declining Hong Kong entertainment industry, she is also getting older, and her fame has declined a lot in recent years.

She's not as competitive as some of the new generation of actresses.

At the premiere, she had a chance to get to know Gu Ning, but unfortunately, she didn't get to say more than a few words before other people came over to talk to Gu Ning.

She could only approach Gu Ning after the premiere.

You can't just meet him and say you want to be friends with him, and then ask him to play a suitable role for you in the future, right?

Therefore, she planned to use Lu Chuan's movie as an excuse, but Gu Ning's words put her at a loss.

"Sister Yuanyuan hasn't said where we're going to eat yet," Gu Ning said with a smile.

"Let's go to Hongbinlou."

Gao Yuanyuan asked, "What does Director Gu think?"

"It's great. Hongbinlou's braised oxtail is absolutely amazing. I haven't been there in a while."

Hongbinlou is hailed as the premier Qing Dynasty restaurant in Beijing and has a history of over a hundred years.

Originally from Tianjin, he moved to Beijing after the founding of the People's Republic of China at the invitation of the Premier.

"By the way, Sister Yuanyuan, please don't call me Director Gu anymore."

"So what should I call you, Brother Gu?"

Gao Yuanyuan's last "little brother" was drawn out with a slightly seductive tone.

The traffic light ahead was red, so Gu Ning stopped the car, turned her head, and smiled, "I'm glad Sister Yuanyuan likes it."

"If your younger brother Gu finds a suitable role for you in the future, don't forget your older sister," Gao Yuanyuan said with a smile.

Gu Ning smiled and looked her over, then asked, "So, how will Sister Yuanyuan repay me?"

Gao Yuanyuan was wearing an evening gown, and her perfume was very faint, but it was clearly noticeable in the small space inside the car.

It was nighttime, and the dim lighting inside the car added to the hazy atmosphere, making it even more alluring.

A hint of unease flashed in Gao Yuanyuan's eyes; she wasn't sure if Gu Ning was joking or if he was really implying something.

"I'll treat you to dinner. You can choose any of the time-honored restaurants in Beijing," Gao Yuanyuan said.

"You can eat at any time at Beijing's time-honored restaurants; this kind of repayment isn't sincere."

Gu Ning smiled, saw the red light turn green, started the car, and the car fell silent for a moment.

Half an hour later, we parked the car outside Hongbinlou Restaurant on Exhibition Hall Road in Xicheng District.

After parking the car, Gu Ning and Gao Yuanyuan got out and entered Hongbinlou Restaurant.

Gao Yuanyuan requested a private room and, led by a waiter, went to the second-floor private room. She ordered Hongbinlou's famous dishes, such as braised oxtail, stir-fried tripe with coriander, casserole lamb head, and stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar, and handed the menu to Gu Ning.

"Brother Gu, could you please order a few more dishes?"

"No need, this is enough for us."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan handed the menu to the waiter. After the waiter left, she was just about to start talking when Gu Ning spoke first.

"Sister Yuanyuan, I'm going to be filming a youth campus movie in the second half of the year. Would you be interested in playing a role?" Gu Ning asked.

"Isn't it inappropriate for someone my age to play a student?"

Gao Yuanyuan was delighted to hear this, but hesitated when she thought about the film's subject matter.

Gu Ning chuckled inwardly. What's so special about this? Even Grandma Liu plays young girls who fall in love with men.

Moreover, those actresses born in the 85s, aren't they all in their thirties and still playing teenage girls?

The actresses born in 95 have suffered for a long time.

However, he didn't plan to have Gao Yuanyuan play a student, but rather a female teacher, with limited screen time.

An intellectual and sophisticated older sister-like female teacher is sure to be a favorite among viewers.

It doesn't help the plot at all; it's purely for embellishment.

Of course, Gu Ning couldn't say that to Gao Yuanyuan; she simply gave a brief introduction to the role and scenes she was to play.

Hearing that her role wouldn't be very big, Gao Yuanyuan was somewhat disappointed, but also relieved.

If Gu Ning had really arranged a role with a lot of screen time for her during their conversation in the car, she would have been hesitant to accept it.

To be honest, Gu Ning is very handsome, and his youthful success is very attractive to girls.

But she's not the kind of girl who prefers younger women; she prefers more mature women.

Although the role was small and she didn't particularly like it, she still accepted it.

This way, they've established a connection, and Gu Ning will only contact her for other projects in the future.

After the waiter brought the dishes, Gao Yuanyuan said apologetically, "Brother Gu, I forgot to order wine. Would you like something to drink?"

"I don't like drinking either, and I also have to drive."

Gu Ning knew exactly what she was thinking. She deliberately didn't order any alcohol, but now that she was asking, if she wanted some, Gu Ning could conveniently refuse to drink.

A mature older sister like Da Meiyuan is still very attractive to him.

But Gu Ning disdained to use such methods.

What do you mean, if a woman doesn't get drunk, a man has no chance?

If a woman really wants to give you a chance, she doesn't need to get you drunk.

Getting drunk can give you the opportunity to easily get a government job.

After finishing their meal, Gu Ning took Gao Yuanyuan home and then drove to Shu Chang's apartment complex.

…………

"President Han is here."

That day, Gu Ning was editing when she saw Han Sanpin come in and greeted him with a smile.

Han Sanpin has been very busy lately, as "The Founding of a Republic" is a tribute film prepared to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

After years of preparation, if they fail to achieve good results, not only him, but also many of the leaders above him will be in trouble.

"How was the film editing?"

Han Sanpin asked, "Let me see the edited version first."

"One-third of it is already done."

Gu Ning showed Han Sanpin a portion of the edited video.

"Not bad, the overall quality is much better than the previous one." Han Sanpin nodded in satisfaction after watching it.

"There has to be some progress, right?"

Gu Ning smiled and asked, "President Han, has the editing of 'The Founding of a Republic' been completed? Could I take a look at the finished product?"

Han Sanpin waved his hand: "We'll watch it in the cinema then. Shouldn't you contribute some to the box office for our country's New Year's film?"