Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

Two days later, in front of the Qianxing Media building.

Lu Jiuge organized and held the opening ceremony for the film "Us and Them".

Apart from the people from Qianxing Media and the filming team assembled by Wu Ziming, two-thirds of the personnel had arrived at the scene.

The three female protagonists' standing posters are lined up in a row.

Liu Yifei looked pure and lively in a white dress, Tang Yan exuded a cool and capable aura, and Ren Suxi had a gentle and intellectual temperament.

The poster on the display stand also featured the headlines "Wu Ziming's Film Debut," "Lu Jiuge's Personal Screenplay," and "Avis's 1.2 Million Yuan Title Sponsor."

The opening ceremony site was already arranged in an orderly manner.

Wu Ziming's core production team performed their duties diligently. The lighting, camera, costume, and prop teams moved quickly but in an orderly manner, without any panic.

As a top-tier director in the TV drama industry, Wu Ziming's professional ability is beyond doubt. Even when he crosses over to direct movies, he still manages the crew with ease. With just a glance or a command, he can get everyone to be in place precisely.

"Xiao Lu, everything is ready. The auspicious time has arrived. We can begin the incense offering ceremony!"

At 10:23 a.m., Wu Ziming walked up to Lu Jiuge and asked him to lead the team for the opening ceremony.

Lu Jiuge did not refuse and walked ahead with Wu Ziming, leading Liu Yifei, Tang Yan, Ren Suxi and other cast and crew members.

Offering incense, unveiling the curtain, and cutting the opening cake – after completing this set of procedures, accompanied by the crisp sound of firecrackers, the film "Us and Them" officially announced its start of filming.

Zuo instructed his team to publish the pre-edited text on Qianxing Media's official account, with a simple and powerful caption:

Directed by Wu Ziming and written by Lu Jiuge, "Us and Them" will be released during the Spring Festival. Don't miss it!

The moment the post was published, it instantly became a trending topic in the entertainment sector.

#Wu Ziming crosses over to directing movies#

#Lu Jiuge's screenplay for a Spring Festival film#

#Qianxing Media's miraculous comeback#

The three terms quickly climbed into the top ten of the trending topics list, sparking heated discussions among netizens and causing an uproar within the industry.

Lu Jiuge paid no attention to these things. After the opening ceremony, he immediately convened a meeting with the company's core team.

In the conference room, Lu Jiuge solemnly pushed a stack of documents—the schedule for the upcoming season of "The Voice of China," the sponsorship plan, and the artist management rules—in front of Chen Bin.

"Old Chen, I'm entrusting you with all matters related to 'The Voice of China,' from the semi-final recording, judge coordination, GG sponsorship, to contestant training. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, we'll discuss them further!"

Chen Bin was suddenly stunned, his heart skipped a beat:

"Xiao Lu, are you really sure? This show is the foundation of our company..."

Lu Jiuge smiled and interrupted him:

"Old Chen, you're also a shareholder in the company. If I don't trust you, who do I trust?"

"I'll be filming a movie full-time for a while, so I don't have time for variety shows. Just go for it, and don't worry about any problems that arise!"

"Only by honing one's skills through hands-on experience can one make rapid progress!"

A few words completely dispelled Chen Bin's concerns.

He stood up and nodded emphatically:

"Xiao Lu, don't worry, I'll definitely make sure the voice acting is perfect and won't hold the company back!"

After finalizing the details of the variety show, Lu Jiuge plunged headfirst into the filming location in Hengdian, completely transforming into the most dedicated investor.

Wu Ziming's directing skills are well-deserved, and Lu Jiuge's ability to adjust the script is always on point.

With the outstanding performances of Liu Yifei, Tang Yan, and Ren Suxi throughout the entire filming process, the whole process went exceptionally smoothly.

There were no celebrities throwing their weight around, no capital meddling, no scripts being repeatedly altered, and everyone was working together towards a common goal.

The filming, which was originally planned to last two months, was completed ten days ahead of schedule.

On the day filming wrapped, the entire crew had a celebratory dinner. Wu Ziming, holding a wine glass, walked up to Lu Jiuge, overwhelmed with emotion:

"Xiao Lu, I've been acting for over a decade, and this is the first time things have gone so smoothly. With your script and our team, we're definitely a contender for the Spring Festival box office!"

Lu Jiuge raised her glass to clink glasses, her smile serene:

"Thanks to Director Wu's leadership, this film was able to wrap up so perfectly!"

"However, the post-production phase will be the real test for the team, so Director Wu, you must continue to work hard and persevere!"

Wu Ziming patted Lu Jiuge's arm:

"Don't worry, Xiao Lu. I'm taking ten percent of the profits from this movie. It's my job, I have to work tirelessly day and night!"

Lu Jiuge was stunned for a moment before she realized what Wu Ziming meant, and then chuckled and went along with it:

"Director Wu, from a sales perspective, this means all our profits come from the work itself. To make money, we have to work hard to control the quality!"

"Haha, Xiao Lu, you're absolutely right! Come on, let's drink to making even more money!"

Both of them knew exactly what was going on. After they toasted each other, Wu Ziming took an even more proactive role, walking away to greet the crew and guests.

……

After the wrap party, Lu Jiuge specially redeemed three songs from the system, which were sung by Liu Yifei and the other two as interludes to be released first to warm up the audience.

Liu Yifei's "The Fleeting Years", Tang Yan's "Say Goodbye When You Want", and Ren Suxi's "I Want You".

The three songs, released just one week ago, have already topped the charts in China, securing their status as top-tier singers.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the post-production editing of "Us and Them" was completed, and it obtained a public screening license.

Immediately afterwards, Qianxing Media dropped a bombshell:

"Us and Them" has officially announced its release date as the first day of the Lunar New Year, and will be released simultaneously in theaters nationwide!

The official announcement of the release date left the entire Chinese film and television industry completely stunned.

Fans who already knew about the movie through the three songs went wild.

In the conference rooms of major film and television companies, investors, producers, and directors all wore expressions of disdain.

Looking at the release date poster for "Us and Them", almost everyone was completely indifferent.

"Wu Ziming is really foolish. He had a perfectly good TV series to film, but instead he got involved with Lu Jiuge and crossed over into making movies. This time he's completely ruined!"

"Shooting a movie every three months, and it's always a product placement film—isn't that just cashing in? With so many big movies coming out for the Spring Festival, what are they going to compete with?"

"Ives's gone mad, actually investing 1.2 million in Lu Jiuge! That money's like throwing it into water—it doesn't even make a sound!"

……

Doubts, ridicule, and incomprehension filled the entire film and television industry, and all investors were waiting to see the show fail.

Even more extreme, some authoritative film critics have confidently written articles stating that if the film "Us and Them" grosses over 100 million yuan, they will retire from the film industry!

Unlike the optimism of the film and television industry and film critics, when the news spread to the music industry, industry insiders were filled with worry.

Upon receiving the news, Zhao Mingliang of Yawei Records immediately contacted his good friend, Wang Lei of Brothers Pictures.

"Mr. Wang, Lu Jiuge's movie is scheduled for release during the Spring Festival. That kid is too ambitious. The music scene isn't enough for him, and now he's trying to grab a piece of the film industry's pie. We absolutely can't let him rise to prominence!"

"We must join forces, coordinate with theaters to suppress screenings, and coordinate with the media to smear and create hype for this film. We must nip it in the bud as soon as possible, otherwise, once it really gains momentum, we'll all be in deep trouble!"

Zhao Mingliang spoke with great enthusiasm, his face full of anxiety.

But Wang Lei, sitting in the main seat, wore a look of disdain and contempt on his face.

"Old Zhao, what's the panic?"

"Lu Jiuge does have some talent in the music industry. He's good at songwriting and variety shows, but the film and television industry and the music industry are completely different. He has no idea how deep the water is."

"He's an amateur. He only makes one movie every three months. Even if he hired Wu Ziming, what difference would it make? The Lunar New Year film season is fiercely competitive. His little tricks won't make any waves."

"Mr. Wang, we mustn't be careless, he..."

Wang Lei arrogantly interrupted Zhao Mingliang:

"Don't worry, I'll take action if necessary!"