Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Liu Haocun bit his chopsticks, his deer-like eyes slightly narrowed, looking at Hu Lianxin across from him.

The more she looked, the more she felt something was off. The way this fox spoke, that strange, sarcastic tone, was so much like it was imitating her.

Li Ran glared at Hu Lianxin: "Eat your food, don't cause trouble!"

He paused, then turned his gaze to Zhou Ye and Hu Lianxin sitting on his right, and slowly said, "You two, practice your action scenes properly recently. Qingniao and Xuanyuan Qingfeng have quite a few action scenes."

His gaze fell on Zhou Ye, and his tone became serious: "Especially you, Coconut."

"In the first season, Qingniao will be traveling with Xu Fengnian and will be a suicide soldier, so your role will be especially important."

He paused, then added casually, "I don't know what you were learning in those two weeks of combat training, you managed to get thrown to the butt yesterday..."

"Li Ran!"

Zhou Ye immediately bristled, staring at him with wide eyes like a puppy whose tail had been stepped on.

Li Ran smiled and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

Zhou Ye glared at him, then lowered his head and took a big bite of the fried egg.

The chopsticks pierced the egg with such force that it was as if the fried egg itself was Li Ran.

Tian Xiwei looked up and asked, "Does my Yu Youwei still need training?"

Li Ran glanced at her: "No need for the armor. Some basic action skills are enough. Just look at that assassination attempt in the previous scene, which failed."

He paused, a mischievous smile curving his lips: "Just hold your cat tight when the time comes."

Tian Xiwei rolled her eyes at him, but didn't refute him.

Li Ran continued, "I'm going to the company this afternoon to prepare for signing the contract."

Tian Xiwei's eyes lit up, and she deliberately dragged out her words: "Yes, Your Highness~"

Zhou Ye looked up, puzzled, and asked, "What kind of contract?"

Hu Lianxin also looked at Li Ran.

Liu Haocun ate his breakfast slowly with his head down, but his ears were perked up.

She suddenly realized something: it seemed like all of them were going to be filming together? Why hadn't Li Ran told her?

Tian Xiwei spoke first, a hint of smugness in her tone: "So, you signed with Wajijiwa? What, you deadpan type, you have a problem with that?"

Zhou Ye immediately looked at Li Ran: "Li Ran, why is Stitch able to sign with Wajijiwa? Doesn't she have her own company?"

She paused, then said defiantly, "No way, I want to come to Wajiji too!"

Li Ran certainly wouldn't dare say that this was his mother's arrangement.

He chuckled awkwardly, "Coconut, her previous company wasn't very good to begin with. Aren't you doing quite well at Hesong?"

Zhou Ye wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back.

She lowered her head and continued eating, but she had already made up her mind. Xiao Hu was also nagging, and she couldn't let Tian Xiwei have the advantage of being close to her.

Li Ran then looked at Liu Haocun: "Cunzi, don't forget to make an appointment with your boss tomorrow."

Liu Haocun looked up at him and nodded: "Understood, Brother Li Ran."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Hu Lianxin immediately interjected, "Tea Girl, why are you imitating Zhang Jingyi?"

Liu Haocun's doe-like eyes narrowed slightly, his black pupils dilated, making him look somewhat eerie.

She stared at Hu Lianxin: "Burning Fox, what did you call me?"

She paused, then asked coldly, "And how did I end up copying Zhang Jingyi?"

"Tea Girl!"

Hu Lianxin retorted confidently, "Aren't you just a little green tea b*tch?"

Zhou Ye immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Who doesn't call Li Ran by his name normally? Only Zhang Jingyi likes to call him 'brother.' If you're not copying her, who are you copying?"

Liu Haocun choked for a moment.

Tian Xiwei leaned back in her chair, slowly sipping her milk, a smile of anticipation playing on her lips.

She winked at Li Ran, as if asking, "Have these two formed an alliance?"

Hu Lianxin happened to witness this scene: "Stitch, what's wrong with showing off your big eyes? Why are you blinking like that!"

Tian Xiwei put down her cup and looked at her suspiciously: "What's wrong? Are you on a roll today? Looking for a beating?"

Zhou Ye immediately stood up: "Who's afraid of who! Bring it on!"

Looking at the two of them, Liu Haocun realized that they were truly inseparable.

Her eyes lit up; she sensed this was a good opportunity to win over Tian Xiwei.

She quickly interjected, "With your fighting ability, you should go fight the Japanese for two years!"

Li Ran burst out laughing.

He remembered that during this period in his previous life, Zhou Ye was indeed fighting the Japanese and filming an anti-Japanese war drama.

If it weren't for her participation in "The Sword and the Brocade", she would probably be playing a female warrior in some remote mountain village right now!

It's a pity that those famous coconut memes are probably gone.

Zhou Ye glared at him: "What are you laughing at!"

Li Ran waved his hand, trying hard to suppress his laughter:

"It's nothing, hurry up and finish eating, then everyone go home and find their own mothers."

……

In the afternoon, Li Ran and Tian Xiwei arrived at Wajijiwa together.

The signing process went smoothly.

Because of Li's mother's influence, the contract gave Tian Xiwei the highest treatment she could currently receive, and the terms were almost entirely unrestricted.

After signing the papers, Tian Xiwei looked up at Li Ran, her eyes sparkling: "From now on, I'm yours?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "You already are."

……

The following morning.

Li Ran drove alone to the address sent by Liu Haocun, a private coffee shop hidden in an upscale office building.

The decor is understated, and the lighting is dim, making it a great place to discuss business.

He had just parked his car when he saw Liu Haocun standing at the door waiting for him.

She was wearing a cream-colored cashmere coat today, her hair loose. As soon as she saw him, she ran over and gently took his arm.

Li Ran asked, "Has your boss arrived?"

Liu Haocun nodded: "Mr. Guo and I arrived a long time ago. We've been waiting for half an hour."

Li Ran raised an eyebrow.

He arrived more than ten minutes earlier than the agreed time, while Guo Tingting adopted a very humble attitude!

"Take me inside."

The door to the private room opened, and a middle-aged woman immediately stood up.

She was dressed in a well-fitting business suit, with exquisite makeup, but her expression carried just the right amount of respect.

Upon seeing Li Ran, she quickly stepped forward and extended her hand: "Hello, Young Master Li! I am Guo Tingting, the boss of Hao Cun."

Li Ran reached out and gently shook her hand: "President Guo, just call me Li Ran."

Liu Haocun stood to the side, slightly taken aback.

Why is my boss acting so humble in front of Li Ran?

Li Ran turned to look at her: "Cunzi, why don't you go wait outside for a while?"

Liu Haocun was a little confused. She looked at Li Ran and then at Guo Tingting.

Guo Tingting nodded to her.

"……All right."

She released Li Ran's arm, turned around and walked out of the private room, gently closing the door behind her.

After closing the door.

Li Ran sat down on the sofa casually, but her gaze was fixed on Guo Tingting.

"Mr. Guo should know why I had Cunzi invite you out, right?"

Guo Tingting sat down opposite him and nodded gently: "Of course I know. After all, in the beginning, I wanted Haocun to get on your good side."

She paused for a moment: "So I'll just call you by your name?"

Li Ran nodded.

"Li Ran, Hao Cun should have already told you about her troubles."

Guo Tingting lowered her voice, "I hope you can help her..."

Li Ran interrupted her, his voice turning cold: "President Guo, you're a smart man too. This kind of conversation is pointless."

Guo Tingting's expression changed slightly.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, his tone indifferent: "We live in a society governed by law now, that kind of thing is fine for fooling young girls."

"And even if such a thing were true, if Liu Haocun herself is unwilling, would Director Zhang really ignore it if he truly values ​​her?"

Guo Tingting opened her mouth, as if to say something.

Li Ran didn't give her a chance: "You can solve the problem. But that would offend that person, and Haocun's future development will be difficult. Is that what you mean?"

Guo Tingting's expression changed.

Li Ran sneered: "The person you're talking about, is he from the Beijing circle?"

He looked directly at her: "I'm not asking whether this person even exists, or whether this person is just a front."

He paused, his tone becoming even more indifferent: "It's been 20 years now. The Beijing entertainment circle is not what it used to be. Now, internet giants call the shots in the entertainment industry. The Beijing circle only has a little face left."

He leaned forward slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Their face might work for others. But for me..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already very clear.

Guo Tingting's expression had completely changed.

She was silent for a few seconds, and when she spoke again, her voice was tinged with bitterness: "Li Ran, we don't mean anything by it, we just want you to be a part of it, it will be good for everyone."

Li Ran smiled faintly: "I have absolutely no interest in your Beijing circle."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for the Propaganda Department and such, I think you're aware of my background. Some of my father's comrades-in-arms, and some of my grandfather's descendants, I think there are a few people involved."

Guo Tingting fell completely silent.

She didn't expect that this young man in his twenties had almost seen through the essence of things based on just a few words from Liu Haocun.

After a long silence, she slowly spoke: "Li Ran, it's pretty much what you're thinking. But we have no ill intentions; we just want to cooperate and achieve a win-win situation."

She sighed, "Although the Beijing film circle isn't as glorious as it used to be, it still has some influence. Many directors, the department you mentioned, and the operation of domestic awards—these all represent real profits."

Li Ran nodded.

She's right.

Although the Beijing elite circle has declined, its intricate network of resources and connections remains, and he doesn't want to antagonize them.

Just yesterday, after hearing what Liu Haocun said, he keenly sensed that this matter might be aimed at him.

So today, he took a tough stance from the start, seizing the initiative.

That's why he told Liu Haocun to go out and wait; she didn't need to know these intricacies.

He looked at Guo Tingting and slowly said, "I don't want to antagonize the Beijing entertainment circle either. As for cooperation... that depends on how we negotiate."

……

The conversation that followed went much more smoothly.

It's true that someone has taken a liking to Liu Haocun, but they're not some powerful or influential figure.

That person has some influence in Beijing's social circles, but Guo Tingting and her group can handle him completely.

The real purpose was to get close to Li Ran through Liu Haocun, or rather, to access the capital behind him.

The Beijing entertainment circle is now practically defunct, with many celebrities and directors gravitating towards capital and internet giants.

Guo Tingting and her group had neither substantial capital nor big-name directors or A-list celebrities, so those big investors simply didn't want to play with them.

They need a breakthrough.

Liu Haocun was the bridge that allowed them to get in touch with Li Ran.

After listening, Li Ran smiled and said, "I can only say a few words about the operation of some projects. In the end, it still depends on our own strength."

Guo Tingting nodded: "That's enough."

She didn't expect to immediately reach a cooperation agreement with the capital behind Li Ran; she just wanted to make the connection first, and cooperation would come step by step.

……

When Li Ran walked out of the private room, Liu Haocun was waiting for him in the lobby.

The winter sun shone through the glass, bathing her in a warm glow.

When she saw him come out, she immediately ran over and took his arm.

Her doe-like eyes sparkled as she looked at him: "Finished talking?"

Li Ran nodded.

She didn't ask what they talked about; she just looked up at him.

Li Ran smiled and said, "I didn't get to eat braised pork the day before yesterday. How about I make it for you today?"

Liu Haocun's eyes lit up even more: "Great!"

She paused, then added, "Last time it was all burnt. If it weren't for me, you would have set the kitchen on fire."

Li Ran recalled that he had indeed been careless that day and completely forgot that he hadn't turned off the stove.

"Maybe you have a keen sense of smell, like a dog," he said with a smile.

Liu Haocun glared at him: "You're the dog!"

……