Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

After participating in "Star Podcast" and "Very Quiet Distance", the cast and crew also participated in an episode of "Happy Camp".

During this period, Happy Camp was undergoing a restructuring. Apart from He Dan, who was a regular host, Wei Jia and Xie Na were only guest hosts.

"Director Huai'an, welcome back to Malanpo."

He Dan greeted each member of the crew one by one, and even Luo Jin, who had just debuted, could be called by name accurately. He truly deserves to be called the number one nice guy in the Chinese entertainment industry and a witness to all kinds of famous scenes.

It's comparable to the red clouds in the primordial wilderness.

Perhaps only the incident with Edison Chen made him have a problem with a guest for the first time, but it turned out to be an unintended consequence.

"Director Huai'an, there's something I need to explain to you beforehand."

"Teacher He, please don't be so polite, just speak your mind."

"That's right."

He Dan looked a little embarrassed. "Our station is currently running a talent show for a new anchor, and we've basically decided on the winner and runner-up to join Happy Camp as hosts. Young people like us might be a little nervous meeting a big director like you for the first time, so could you please be a little more understanding?"

Zhuang Huai'an really wanted to say no, but facing the sincere Teacher He, it was indeed difficult to say the words of refusal.

Fine, just try to ignore that crazy woman and stick with that dog who kneels before the Koreans.

"Alright, Teacher He, but you should also be mindful of boundaries. I think you and Wei Jia work quite well together."

"I will be careful to keep things under control."

They were all smart people, and He Dan understood Zhuang Huai'an's unspoken meaning. He could only pray in his heart that nothing unexpected would happen on this episode.

Fortunately, Zhuang Huai'an was a renowned figure, or perhaps it was He Dan's deliberate instruction, that the program was recorded smoothly.

Back in Beijing, next up is Phoenix TV's "Qiang Qiang San Ren Xing".

Originally, this program was limited to Hong Kong and Taiwan, with limited influence in mainland China. However, this year it expanded northward in all directions, officially opening its studio in Beijing at the beginning of the year. Wang Shuo recorded five episodes in a row, and his various sharp remarks and all-encompassing topics of discussion have allowed Qiang Qiang to break out of its niche and enter the public eye.

The host, Dou Wentao, is indeed quite skilled. He has the same interviewing style as Lu Yu, and he gets the guests to betray him by playing dumb.

The two truly deserve to be called the "Black Wind Duo" of Phoenix TV.

Dou Wentao is an extremely cunning man. Knowing that Zhuang Huai'an is difficult to deal with, he kept throwing the topic to Liu Yifei. Fortunately, his little wife also has a knack for interviewing. After a series of exchanges, Dou Wentao was full of admiration.

You know, even a radical hothead like Wang Shuo could be tricked into revealing information by slowly boiling him like a frog in water. I never expected that I would not get the better of two young people.

After finishing their promotional tour in the three regions, the young couple moved on to Taiwan.

The elder brother personally hosted a banquet to receive them.

"Director Zhuang, Miss Liu, this is my goddaughter Jia Jingwen and my nephew Chen Chuhe."

"Hello, Director."

"Hello, director."

"Greetings, both of you," Zhuang Huai'an said with a smile, shaking hands with the two. "Miss Jia is currently incredibly popular in mainland China, and Mr. Chen is also a handsome and talented young man with great potential in the entertainment industry."

The two were overjoyed to receive the praise; Zhuang Huai'an's international standing was far beyond what Zhu Yanping and others could match.

Although Wu Dun and Chen Qili were involved in a less-than-honorable incident in their early years, both of them maintained a very firm stance, especially Chen Qili, who repeatedly publicly declared: "One Country Principle."

This ruthless man had only two wishes before his death: to watch the Beijing Olympics and witness unity.

Most members of the Bamboo Union are descendants of military dependents' villages. The initial purpose of its establishment was to protect itself, counterbalance local forces in Taiwan, and be close to the pro-independence Tiandao Alliance.

Zhuang Huai'an does not rule out contacting this type of ruthless and resolute leader.

After a few rounds of drinks, Da Laodun put down his cup and gave Jia Jingwen and Chen Chuhe a wink. The two understood immediately and got up to say goodbye.

"Miss Jia, please wait a moment," Zhuang Huai'an stopped her, then turned to Liu Yifei with a smile, "Qianqian, haven't you always been curious about the Treasure Island Night Market? Why don't you let Miss Jia show you around?"

Liu Yifei could tell the two had something to discuss, but still humbly asked, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Sister Jingwen?"

Jia Jingwen quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all. I'd also like to have more conversations with you."

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony." Liu Yifei immediately stood up, and Zhuang Huai'an instructed, "Let Zhang Lu come along, and the Longhu brothers too, they can help you carry your things."

"Okay."

"Chuhe, you should come along too," the elder brother added, providing an extra layer of protection.

"Yes, Uncle." Chen Chuhe nodded in agreement.

After the three left, Boss Dun picked up Zhuang Huai'an's cigarette case and lit one. "Phew... I'm smoking a Boss's cigarette now."

His actions brought a knowing smile to Zhuang Huai'an's face. As expected of someone with a background in the underworld, he handled even the smallest details flawlessly.

"Brother, we're friends, so feel free to speak your mind."

"Sigh, the main problem is I don't know how to bring it up."

Big Brother Dun exhaled a puff of smoke, his face filled with regret: "The situation here has been getting increasingly tense lately. Ah Shui is always causing trouble, and even the entertainment industry has been affected. People like me who are close to the other side are being investigated time and time again. I've been having a tough time lately."

Zhuang Huai'an nodded. Taiwan's black gold industry has long been famous, and there are many politicians who use the influence of entertainment stars to garner votes. However, it is a double-edged sword, where one prospers and the other suffers.

"Since that's the case, why don't you go to Hong Kong to lay low for a while, and come back to continue after this period has passed?"

"I have this idea, but I'm struggling to find a way to open up the market."

The big boss finally revealed his true intentions: "Everyone knows that Director Zhuang is a screenwriting genius, and now you've come to Taiwan with the prestige of a Grand Slam winner. I wonder if Director Zhuang has any way to teach me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Huai'an lit a cigarette and fell into thought. He really needed to come up with an idea for this matter, because the initial adaptation rights for "Chinese Paladin" were handled by Da Lao Dun. He only found out afterward that the adaptation rights involved several companies, and Da Lao Dun must have put in a lot of effort.

Even if we don't have any more contact in the future, we still have to repay this favor.

Moreover, what Da Laodun said was exactly what he wanted to hear. After all, at his level, he really couldn't personally participate in some films with a dark undertone, otherwise he might get scolded by his parents, just like he did at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The big boss has his feet firmly planted on black and white; he's not afraid.

"How about this, bro?"

Zhuang Huai'an feigned helplessness and said, "For the sake of our friendship, I do have two scripts that are very suitable for the Taiwan background, balancing commercial appeal and artistic merit. How about we do it like 'The Big Shot'? I'll write the script and act as the producer, and you can build the team. That should be enough for you to establish yourself in Hong Kong."

"That's wonderful!"

Seeing the big boss's happy face, Zhuang Huai'an also bared his fangs and sighed casually, "Sigh, if it weren't for my inappropriate status, I would really like to keep it for myself. After all, my girlfriend doesn't have an award to rely on. Brother, you know, Berlin is something else. I clearly only wanted the Best Actress award, but it gave me the Golden Bear. Fate is so cruel."

The big boss immediately understood, and with a wave of his hand, he laughed heartily, "Getting my sister-in-law an award is a piece of cake! You say I don't have connections at the three major European film festivals, but getting a Golden Horse Award for Best Actress is no problem. Leave this to me!"

"How could I possibly accept this?"

Zhuang Huai'an chuckled, raised his glass in a gesture of respect, and said, "Brother, shall we have a pleasant collaboration then?"

"It's a pleasure working with you!"

The two exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.