Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

The same words can have completely different effects when spoken by different people.

If a handsome guy calls a girl "little idiot" or "girl," the girl will most likely smile sweetly; but if an ugly guy does the same, the girl will definitely want to slap him.

Cheng Hong paused for a moment, then laughed until her eyes disappeared, her tone tinged with reproach: "Producer Yang, are you saying I'm old?"

Yang Che proactively released her hand: "Sister Cheng Hong, are you making me offend someone? Is it because I addressed you with the formal 'you'?"

Cheng Hong looked puzzled and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Yang Che continued, "You were just playing Chang'e! If I were to say that, Mr. Fan and the directors would probably say I have no aesthetic sense whatsoever."

"Producer Yang really knows how to talk."

Cheng Hong covered her mouth and laughed.

At 31, as a new mother, her demeanor didn't seem out of place at all.

No one around them seemed to notice anything unusual, not even Qin Lan. However, Cheng Hong's assistant lowered his head at some point.

Yang Che's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and quickly extended his hand to Tao Hong again: "I've heard so much about you, Sister Tao Hong."

Tao Hong's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter: "Oh dear, I thought I was your dream girl too."

Everyone laughed, except for Xu Zheng.

Cheng Hong was no exception; she merely gave Tao Hong a forced smile.

Yang Che quickly pulled his hand away: "Stop fooling around, I still want to work with Brother Zheng."

Everyone smiled knowingly.

Everyone on the set knew about their relationship and was happy to see it happen; the director even encouraged it.

Just like when Jiang Wen and Sister Xiaoqing were filming "Hibiscus Town". Of course, Sister Xiaoqing was already married at that time. Tsk, speaking of which, Director Xie Jin was a bit... well, you know!

Yang Che chuckled and reached out to Xu Zheng again.

Xu Zheng spoke first: "Thank you, General Manager Yang."

Xu Zheng was already bald at this time, but his face was full of collagen and his eyes were bright. Although he said thank you, there was no hint of flattery or obsequiousness in his expression. Apart from his baldness, he was a completely different person from the greasy image he had projected in the media after becoming a director.

"I'm thanking you. I'll have to give you a red envelope when the show airs."

Xu Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Then I still have to accept this red envelope."

"It has to be."

After Yang Che finished speaking, he looked at Kou Zhanwen, but did not extend his hand. Instead, he smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Kou Zhanwen, who had been calm, suddenly burst into laughter.

After putting down his fist, Yang Che extended his hand again: "Boss Kou, there's a fight scene for the female lead in the movie I'm preparing, involving modern combat and gunfights. Filming starts in early September. I wonder if you could serve as the martial arts director?"

Whether it was the handshake or these words, Kou Zhanwen seemed a little out of sync, pausing for two or three seconds before reacting: "One match? Sure."

"Okay, thank you. Let's exchange contact information later."

The entire greeting process took less than a minute, and the four actors seemed to have gotten quite close to Yang Che!

The driver, Xiao Zhou, who had been watching silently, was now starting to have doubts. He wondered if Yang Che's words on the road about having faith in him were true. "Your coordination and communication skills? Even ten of me couldn't match yours!"

In fact, it's the same thing, but the difference in effect when different people say it lies not in the words themselves, but in the speaker's inner state, behavior patterns, and relational attitude.

In short, Yang Che is not in a hurry to be needed; on the contrary, he is more deserving of being needed.

Afterwards, Yang Che took the initiative to introduce Qin Lan. Zhang Qin didn't need it; she was introduced by Qin Lan herself, since she had acted in a drama with Fan Xiaotian.

Even so, on the minibus to the late-night snack, people were noticeably closer to Qin Lan and talked to her more.

Yang Che, on the other hand, shamelessly sat down next to Cheng Hong, who kept smiling.

"Sister Hong, I like your Zhang Wanqing in 'Frosty Leaves Red Like February Flowers' the most."

"I thought you were going to mention Diao Chan."

Yang Che said seriously, "Diao Chan was too young back then, she was just immature. I'm not a pervert. Besides, Cao Cao is my favorite character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Clearly, Cheng Hong didn't understand the Prime Minister's jargon, but she grasped the first part. She raised an eyebrow and coughed lightly, "I heard you analyze the television drama industry very eloquently on set earlier. What do you think of the domestic film industry?"

Is this woman pretending not to know, or is she playing hard to get?

Yang Che clicked his tongue: "You're asking me about the film industry? Isn't that going in the opposite direction, like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree?"

"Hey, he's just a director, how could he know all this? You're quick-witted, I really want to hear your insights, um... I'm seriously asking for your advice."

Yang Che asked knowingly, "Sister Hong, are you going to move behind the scenes?"

Cheng Hong thought to himself, "He's really smart."

She unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brushed it aside, saying, "I'm getting older, I need to find something to do."

Yang Che shook his head and said seriously, "There are a lot of things to worry about behind the scenes, it takes a lot of energy, and it makes you age faster. Sister Hong, your face doesn't just belong to you, it belongs to all of us fans. You can't be so selfish."

"Haha, you rascal, haha..."

Cheng Hong laughed, her shoulders twitching. Of course, she meant her shoulders; she might want to shake other parts, but could she even manage it?

Yang Che sighed inwardly; this person had aged drastically since becoming a producer.

There's no need to analyze whether his bone structure is bad or his flesh can't hold up properly; just look at the timing, and you'll know that he poured too much effort into becoming the producer of "The Promise."

Lily from "Together" in 03 and Manshen from "The Promise" in 05, are only two years apart, but they seem to be ten years apart.

Of course, Yang Che didn't say it because he was afraid she was getting old—that would be ridiculous, she's not his wife—but because saying it would do him no good.

Fan Xiaotian can bring him tangible benefits, so he needs to protect him.

Chen Kaige? Yang Che isn't sick.

Yang Che saw the opportune moment, grinned before Cheng Hong could speak again, then got up and sat down next to Kou Zhanwen, chatting about martial arts choreographers and martial arts instructors, quickly getting to the point.

Cheng Hong was stunned for a long time, completely at a loss. How could this person be like this! They were having such a good conversation...

Ye Chongming, sitting diagonally behind Cheng Hong, looked at Cheng Hong's expression and then at Yang Che who had run ahead, and couldn't help but think: What a master! He's clearly trying to pull Cheng Hong along!

Thinking of this, Ye Chongming's gossip-loving spirit began to burn fiercely, and his eyes revealed an excited expression.

There weren't many people going out for a late-night snack. Besides the three of them, there were only the four main actors present: Fan Xiaotian, the two directors, and the assistant director surnamed Jin. After all, everyone was quite tired, and they had filming early the next morning.

A short while later, the car stopped at a food stall by the Dafeng River, a place the film crew frequented. Of course, this was Cheng Hong's first time there.