Global Film Emperor

Chapter 549 Please call Minister Lu

"Okay, okay, I got it, Brother Zhang. Thank you for your hard work. Okay, I'll leave it to you."

After hanging up the phone and checking his phone's battery level, Lu Ze returned to his room, unplugged Song Guiyuan's charger to charge his own phone, then plopped down in a chair, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, leaned back in his chair, hugged the cushion, and closed his eyes to rest.

He had lost count of how many times he had received the phone call today; probably around thirty. Already in poor condition, he had spent the entire morning communicating with people, and the various twists and turns had left him even more exhausted. If it weren't for the constant supply of strong tea, he probably would have fallen asleep by now.

There were still quite a few people chatting inside, but they all kept their voices down, so it was relatively quiet. Lu Ze was half asleep when he could only hear his master scolding Song Guiyuan in a low voice. Old Song actually dared to talk back, saying something with a slightly aggrieved tone, but he couldn't make out the general content. He felt like the voices were getting farther and farther away.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Ze opened his eyes after his arm was shoved a few times. What he saw was a handsome little boy with long hair and a small braid, whispering in his ear.

"Uncle, dinner's ready."

"Xiao Liang! Don't go over there and disturb your Uncle Lu's rest. Come here and let your Uncle Lu rest a little longer."

"Mom, Uncle Lu hasn't eaten yet."

"I'll count to three. Hurry up and come over here. I'm giving you face at your advisor's house, don't make me beat you up here."

Zhuang Xue's voice was filled with anger, which made Lu Ze feel a little uneasy. He raised his hand to pat his nephew's head and said with a smile, "Go ahead and eat. Uncle isn't hungry. Where did you go this morning?"

"I...I'm going to take a stroll along the river."

Lu Ze could tell from his hesitant manner that he wasn't telling the truth, but Lu Ze didn't want to pry. It was normal for someone his age to have his own little thoughts. Besides, he didn't need to ask; his mother would definitely find out the truth soon enough. If he really wanted to run off to play games while his parents were busy, Lu Ze would just help stop him and make sure he got away with it.

"Be careful when you go to the water, don't get too close to the water. Let's go eat."

"Understood, Uncle."

Watching Xiao Liang run away, Lu Ze kept smiling. The child was a good child, a little naughty, but also very sensible. Since returning to China, Lu Ze had never eaten with anyone. He now ate small meals frequently, five meals a day. He couldn't eat with his master and the others, and since he rarely ate meat, it was hard for him to eat alone while they had fish and meat. So, around mealtimes, Lu Ze would usually go to another room to avoid suffering.

But the child didn't know that he had just been brought here by his mother this morning. Although he had been running around all morning and hadn't been seen, the first thing he did when he got home was to think about him and want to have a meal with him. Although Lu Ze couldn't eat, he felt much warmer inside.

Hearing Zhuang Xue's scolding from the next room, he sat down at the head of the tea table, boiled a kettle of water, and checked his phone for messages he hadn't received. Every now and then, he would look up and squint, silently counting them in his mind.

It was the voting stage, and the candidates were not present. They would go to check the vote count in the afternoon. If they were selected, they would give a formal speech; if they were not selected, they would go home quietly.

Lu Ze wasn't really confident, after all, his competitor was a formidable opponent. The competitor was a long-time member of the association and had higher public recognition than him. Although the competitor's resume wasn't as impressive as Lu Ze's, the number of awards he had won didn't necessarily mean that Lu Ze was considered better than Ge Yunzheng in the eyes of the audience.

In terms of connections, there isn't much difference. Overall, they are evenly matched opponents. Ge Yunzheng's advantage lies in his years of deep cultivation within the system. Being a national first-class actor for over a decade is no joke, and his qualifications are much more profound than Lu Ze's. Compared to Lu Ze, who works outside for many years, Ge Yunzheng naturally spends much more time moving around within the association.

Lu Ze's strength lies in his international reputation, which far surpasses Ge Yunzheng's. He also has his own film and television industry abroad and in-depth cooperation with major European and American companies. His proposals for departmental work will definitely be more insightful and feasible than Ge Yunzheng's, and his achievements will be more recognized.

It's not so much a contest of connections and abilities; a clash between the old and the new would be more accurate.

……

After lunch, everyone who was supposed to leave had left. Lu Ze checked the time and decided not to wait at home. He got up and walked to the dining room, looking at the old man.

"Master, I'll head over now."

"Okay, drive carefully. If you're too sleepy, let Guiyuan take you there."

"No need, I can just take a taxi."

Besides his master, mistress, and Song Guiyuan's family of three, there was no one else in the room. Hearing Lu Ze speak, the old man did not refute him, nodded, and stood up first. The others followed behind him, seeing Lu Ze all the way to the door.

"Go, Uncle Lu!" Xiao Liang waved to encourage Lu Ze. Lu Ze didn't say anything, just smiled and waved back before getting into the car. The driver started the car and drove away from the alley.

The association is located not far from the old man's house, in a government compound. The city center wasn't very congested at midday, and it only took about fifteen minutes to get there.

There were no notices posted inside the courtyard. After all, there weren't many people in the association, and if something happened, they could be notified in the blink of an eye. Along the corridor, the walls displayed the major and minor events that the association had experienced since its establishment, as well as the outstanding actors within the association. Lu Ze would always take a look at them carefully every time he passed by, and this time was no exception. Just as he was about to reach the door, someone suddenly greeted him.

"Lu Ze".

"Teacher Ge."

Following the sound, Lu Ze looked over and saw Ge Yunzheng walking out of the department meeting room with a water glass in his hand. The two looked at each other, and Ge Yunzheng smiled and waved to him. Lu Ze walked over and greeted him, feeling the other's hand on his back, but his smile did not fade.

The two had worked together on a film and had a very harmonious relationship on set. Even now that they are in competition, their relationship has not reached a breaking point. Although it has cooled down somewhat, they still keep in touch frequently. Their plans are the same: even if they lose this competition, they will maintain their friendship. After all, their current focus is still on filming, and both are restraining their desire for power. They are far from being at odds, and perhaps that time will never come.

Of course, the main reason is that their department doesn't really have any real power. In the past, they would write reports and do research. Whether their proposals were adopted or not was none of their business. Departments with real power wouldn't accept members who might not even come back once a year.

Competing for this ministerial position is merely a way to facilitate a transfer to a more internal role and to secure the position in advance. The real purpose of this position will come when the focus shifts away from filming in the future.

Ge Yunzheng seemed to be going out to do something, but when he saw Lu Ze arrive, he changed his mind. The two chatted and laughed as they entered the conference room. The other twenty or so people in the group had somewhat subtle expressions, as if they hadn't expected the two to have this attitude.

The two found their seats, both in the front row, sitting side by side. Although Lu Ze had only been in the association for a few years, his reputation, strength, and background made him a leader in the "Theoretical Planning Department" as soon as he entered. His research reports were essential proposals that members and even other departments would read carefully.

After greeting the rest of his colleagues, the moment it took to smoke a cigarette, the head of the department in charge of personnel transfers within the association arrived, bringing a manila document and showing Lu Ze and Ge Yunzheng an unopened seal.

"Now, we will read out the ballots for the new director of the Film Industry Development Theory and Planning Department of the China Film Association Beijing Branch. The ballots will be cast by the other members of the department and will be counted anonymously. Abstentions are allowed, and the number of abstentions will also be announced. Do the two candidates have any objections?"

"No, Minister Wu."

"Then I will count the votes. Now I will open the envelope. Ge Yunzheng has one vote."

"Ge Yunzheng gets one vote."

"Lu Ze gets one vote."

"..."

"Lu Ze received one vote, and the unanimous vote has been read. The total number of votes is 27, with Lu Ze receiving 15 votes, Ge Yunzheng receiving 12 votes, and no one abstaining. The new minister is Comrade Lu Ze, a national second-level actor and an official member of the China Film Association Beijing Branch. We hope that Minister Lu will continue to make more contributions to the development of China's film industry. Congratulations."

Minister Wu smiled sincerely, stood up and shook hands with Lu Ze. The members who accompanied Minister Wu to the voting meeting took out their mobile phones to notify the propaganda department of the handover of power in the "Theoretical Planning Department".

A few minutes later, a series of photos of Lu Ze, dressed in formal attire and sitting upright at the meeting, along with his party membership photo, national second-level actor ID photo, and other identity photos, appeared on the official accounts of the China Film Association on major news apps.

Titled as:
"Congratulations to Lu Ze, internationally renowned Chinese actor, on his election as the Minister of the Film Industry Development Theory and Planning Department of our association!"

"..."

Do you want a wife or not?

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(End of this chapter)