Global Film Emperor

Chapter 515 Signing a Contract
"Isn't that Lu Ze?"

"It really is him... Wasn't he supposed to be filming a movie abroad?"

"Where is it? Where is it?"

Lu Ze rarely came to CCTV. Even during the years he worked in China, he rarely collaborated with CCTV. It's not that anyone looked down on anyone else, but rather that Lu Ze's image as an artist was too one-dimensional, making it difficult for his work to align with CCTV's pace.

This surprised the staff who were used to seeing big stars. When they saw Lu Ze get into the elevator with Fifth Brother, they gathered in small groups and began to speculate about Lu Ze's purpose in coming.

Lu Ze has been back in the capital for a few days now. He has been very busy visiting many teachers. Even if he didn't go, it was unlikely that he would vote for Ge Yunzheng. But he still had to maintain appearances to avoid being criticized.

While trying to lose weight, his diet wasn't great, and with his mind preoccupied, his sleep was also mediocre. Coupled with the busy and tiring work, Lu Ze's complexion wasn't very good; he looked drowsy and unhealthy.

As they boarded the elevator, which was quite high up, the pressure from its rapid ascent made Lu Ze dizzy. He stumbled and swayed a few times before Fifth Brother quickly pulled him back, frowning as he steadied him.

"Are you in such a rush to start filming your movie? So eager to lose weight? You're eating the wrong things and trying to lose weight like crazy. Look, your legs are practically floating! If you ask me, you're in such a hurry to lose weight, why are you rushing to start filming your own company's movie? You need to eat something nutritious to replenish your body. I'll have the cafeteria make you some soup later, so eat something good."

"It's alright, I'm getting all the other nutrients, I'm not lacking anything. Besides, you're an official, you don't know how hard it is for ordinary people. My little company is so poor it's almost going out of business. If I don't hurry up and get back to work, I'll be eating at your place every day once it really fails."

"Go ahead and freeload! Lots of meat and fish, all the decent restaurants around here. Whatever you want to eat, just put it on my tab."

"Forget it, I'm not in a position to enjoy that yet. I'll just have to watch what I eat, exercise more, and stuff radishes and cucumbers into my mouth."

After he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened. Without letting Fifth Brother pass, Lu Ze calmly walked out with his hands behind his back. However, to his surprise, there were quite a few people standing at the elevator entrance, seemingly not intending to take the elevator yet, as if they were there specifically to welcome them.

"Hello, Teacher Lu, it's nice to meet you. You've worked hard. Minister Wang, thank you for coming so early in the morning."

Lu Ze didn't speak, but nodded to the middle-aged man in front of him who wasn't balding yet, but whose hairline had receded quite dramatically, and waited for Fifth Brother behind him to speak.

"It's alright, let's talk inside."

Fifth Brother is an actor by profession, so he has some skills. Now, his appearance and attitude are so upright, and his presence is so imposing. He is completely different from the man with his hair flying off at home. Outsiders would hardly imagine that this Minister Wang was listening to jokes on the car radio and laughing on his way to CCTV.

This time, Lu Ze didn't take the first step. He followed behind Fifth Brother obediently, walking alongside the middle-aged man who had greeted him earlier, which created an opportunity for the two to have a conversation.

"Hello, Teacher Lu. I haven't introduced myself yet. My surname is Zhang and my given name is Hongchang. I am the head of our program 'Actor's Diary'. The person next to you is the program's director, who shares the same name as our hurdles champion, Liu Xiang."

This Mr. Zhang is quite humble. The head of any program at a TV station would hold a high position within the station, let alone a major project like "The Actor's Diary," which involves multiple departments and companies working together. He must be a big shot in Channel 3.

"Hello, I'll be working under you for the next period of time. I'm new to variety shows, so please forgive me if I make any mistakes."

"Teacher Lu, you're too kind. Don't mention working under me. I was so happy to hear that you'd cooperate with us that I couldn't sleep all night. I heard that a health-focused restaurant opened in Xicheng. Teacher Lu, you have to give me the honor of going to try it out."

That's why he's a leader; he really has a keen eye. He noticed that Lu Ze had lost weight and didn't look well. He probably concluded that Lu Ze was sick, so he changed the venue of the dinner he had already booked to a health-focused restaurant, intending to address the problem directly and get closer to Lu Ze.

"Teacher Zhang, I really wanted to have a couple of drinks with you, but unfortunately, I'm trying to lose weight for my next film, and I can't break my diet during this time. You guys can join us for today's gathering, so please don't invite me. If you tempt me, how will I lose weight? Next time, after I finish filming, I must toast you."

This isn't exactly polite talk, it shouldn't be... At least if Lu Ze weren't filming "Nothing to Hear," I'd definitely be having this meal today. But if I were to refuse... I still need to express my desire to have a couple of drinks with him before refusing, otherwise no matter how tactful I am, it will sound harsh to others.

Although it was a refusal, Zhang Hongchang didn't feel uncomfortable and laughed twice. The matter was over just like that. Moreover, Lu Ze could tell that after hearing Lu Ze say that there was nothing wrong with his body and that he was just losing weight to cooperate with filming, he and Director Liu were obviously relieved. They probably worried about him just as much as they had worried about Guan Yong and Tang Juan.

Actually, there are vegetarian restaurants in the capital, but this meal wasn't just for Lu Ze. The others probably wouldn't want to eat only vegetarian food either; wouldn't they prefer meat and fish? It's impossible to please everyone, so Zhang Hongchang had to take the easy way out. For the rest of the time, he didn't talk to Lu Ze about the meal again, but instead focused on serious business.

Since this is not a lifestyle program, there is no need for 24-hour filming, which reduces the risk of privacy exposure for Lu Ze and others, and there are fewer constraints. After discussing the precautions with Lu Ze, Zhang Hongchang also inquired about any taboos that Lu Ze did not want to talk about. In this regard, Zhang Hongchang showed great respect to Lu Ze, who naturally expressed his gratitude.

Then it was Zhang Hongchang and Liu Xiang's turn to show off their strength. They revealed to Lu Ze all the existing conditions, such as the luxurious production team, the large-scale publicity, the amount of funds they could mobilize, and the support they had from various agencies. Lu Ze was not fully aware of these things before, and when they told him, Lu Ze could only describe it as "satisfying".

luxury.

It is indeed luxurious.

"So, Teacher Lu, could you also share your thoughts with us? This program fully showcases the differences in teaching methods among each teacher, emphasizing individualized instruction. Let's see how we can cooperate with you."

Giving mentors a great deal of autonomy is a major feature of this program. Lu Ze pondered for a long time before answering the question.

"First, I hope that the contestants will not cry and talk about how miserable their families are. I don't want that kind of story. No matter how good their grades are, I don't want them. You can give them screen time, but I will ignore them. I am selecting based on ability, not on a tragic story. I am making this clear to you in advance. Don't let me see anyone who starts crying right away. I can't feel any sympathy for them."

His words were ostensibly directed at contestants who might try to play the victim, but the unspoken message was to the production team: stop with the slapstick drama about a father's health problems or a family going to great lengths to support their child. He didn't like it, even if it was just acting. This made Zhang Hongchang and Liu Xiang serious. They hadn't expected Lu Ze to be so blunt when discussing serious matters, a stark contrast to his earlier casual conversation. They had heard he was dedicated to his work, but this blunt warning still surprised them.

Many people know that variety shows like to play the sympathy card, but is it still effective? Of course it is. Appropriate tragedy can evoke empathy from the audience, as long as it's not too frequent, one or two instances are enough.

If a tragic story doesn't win over the audience, then create a character who is independent, strong, and doesn't succumb to a miserable fate. Many variety shows do this, and Director Liu actually wanted to do one too. After all, having such a tragic contestant won't affect the show's reputation; on the contrary, if the character is established, there will be many supporters.

But little did they know that Lu Ze hated this kind of thing the most. It took them a while to realize that the guy in front of them had also had a bad family background in his early years, but he never used his family's difficulties to gain sympathy from others. This was a true example of self-reliance and self-improvement, and a typical example of not bowing to a tragic fate! To put up a memorial archway in front of him that refused to bow to a tragic fate was just asking for a beating.

They couldn't resort to sob stories anymore, at least not on Lu Ze's camera. The two agreed and assured Lu Ze to continue.

"Secondly, I wish I had the power to dismiss my own students."

"Um... well, Mr. Lu, we sign the same contracts with all the contestants. Besides, if you really eliminate a student, or even several students... it will disrupt our filming schedule."

“I will not recruit additional students. At worst, others will take four students, and I will take two or three, or even one. I choose a certain contestant because his professional skills are up to standard, but at that time, I do not know his moral character. I do not want to teach a student whose moral character is not up to standard.”

Morality……

The two were momentarily stunned. How long had it been since they'd heard the word "morality" in the entertainment industry? It seemed... really long. Or rather, the standards of morality had been lowered in this industry; as long as you didn't break the law, it seemed like you were morally upright.

"But this..."

To ensure that no accidents occur during filming, the production team strictly requires the contestants to behave properly during the recording. But once filming is over, who cares about that? Even if something goes wrong later, it has nothing to do with the production team.

So they really didn't consider the so-called moral aspect, whether the contestants would pass the test or not. After thinking it over, Zhang Hongchang still felt that he should give Lu Ze a guarantee that at least during the filming stage, they would strictly discipline the contestants. But suddenly, Fifth Brother Wang Libin, who was slurping tea on the side, spoke up.

“Lu Ze is right. What, does being a celebrity mean you can abandon morality? On the contrary, shouldn’t we use high moral standards to decide whether someone can step into the spotlight?”

As their boss, Fifth Brother's sudden interruption made their smiles stiffen. Of course, they knew about Lu Ze's relationship with Wang Libin, so it wasn't surprising that he interrupted at this time, but... it would be best if they didn't say anything! Couldn't they even make a wish?
But in reality, what Fifth Brother said was not just echoing Lu Ze's thoughts; it coincided with Lu Ze's own. As Old Master Chen's student, he had also been tested by Old Master Chen on a moral level.

He can't be called incorruptible, but he can't stand many things, such as the current low moral standards of artists. He has already proposed rectification documents, and the industry is already making improvements. But as mentioned before, the entertainment industry also needs financial support. It can't be completely cut off at once. Not giving investors time to rectify will only prevent those low-quality artists from appearing on the official stage.

Some people become indifferent after watching for a long time, while others become more and more indignant. Fifth Brother clearly belongs to the latter. Now, he cannot improve the overall environment, but he is in charge of "The Actor's Diary". He is the boss, so he has to make the final decision on this matter. If one's moral character is not high, then it is unacceptable.

"Director Wang... Yes! You're right. I was abrupt in this matter. I'll have someone screen the contestants again later. If there are any with questionable conduct, I'll remove them from the team. Also... I've considered Professor Lu's suggestion, and I think it's correct. If a contestant behaves improperly during the competition, even if it's not exposed, the teachers should have the right to consider whether to kick them out. I'll contact the other three teachers later and have the legal department revise the contestant contracts. Professor Lu, do you have any other suggestions?"

"Gone."

"Would you like to take a look at the contract?"

Seeing that Lu Ze had no objections, Zhang Hongchang took out three contracts from the filing cabinet and placed them in front of Lu Ze, waiting for Lu Ze to read them one by one. Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he no longer needed to hire a lawyer to review the terms of commercial contracts. He could see clearly whether there were any pitfalls at a glance. Of course, CCTV's contracts had many more restrictions than those of other TV stations, but there was no need to worry about too many pitfalls. After reading them all, they were all reasonable.

The fee was 12 million before tax, which is a huge contract for CCTV, which has always been "fundamentally weak".

Three copies were signed, and Lu Ze put his copy of the contract into his bag. The contract was now officially in effect. Lu Ze shook hands with the two men and, upon learning that they had a meeting to attend later, he didn't linger. After arranging a dinner, Lu Ze got up to say goodbye.

Fifth Brother wasn't leaving; he was going to attend the meeting later too. He just got up to see Lu Ze off, and when they reached the elevator, he took out his car keys and tossed them to Lu Ze.

"I'll take a taxi later, you can drive my car. Don't let anyone recognize you and cause trouble for the traffic police. Oh, by the way, my mentor told me to change the soil for the flowers today, so go to the farmers' market later and get two bags of urea."

"That's not right, Fifth Brother... I know we're changing the soil today, but... I seem to remember Master asking you to come and do the work."

"Oh, oh, oh, Master dotes on you so much. Look how thin you are. You don't have to do any work. Don't talk nonsense to me. I'm definitely not going today. I'll avoid work as much as possible. You can do it or not, I won't stop you."

"I'm sorry, Fifth Brother, I can't do this job today. I'll go home to get some things and then leave."

Where to?

"I have a feeling that if I don't go to Shanghai now and keep dawdling at home, the scripts I've been eyeing will all be snatched away by that bastard Lao Song."

"..."

(End of this chapter)