After all of them were reborn, who would still be an actor?

Chapter 719 Another sucker...

Old Wu and Guo Fan exchanged glances, both wanting the other to mention the Palme d'Or so they could know how it was won.

But neither of them wanted to take the lead.

After all, this is the biggest unsolved mystery in the Chinese entertainment industry!
The two had tried to find out through Jing Tian, ​​Yang Mi, and Zhang Wei that all three women were in Cannes.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Wei stopped replying to messages and calls, as if she had vanished into thin air.

Jing Tian was just busy bragging, but actually knew nothing.

Yang Mi was even more ridiculous, asking them if they knew...

Just as Lao Wu and Guo Fan were exchanging glances and hesitating, the door to the screening room opened.

Zhang Ruoyun led the way out of the screening room, grinning as she said, "Mingyang, you're awesome! You went out for a bit and became a Palme d'Or-winning director. By the way... how did you win that Palme d'Or? It's amazing. Zhang Yimou has been green with envy these past few days."

For a moment, everyone in the room looked at Li Mingyang, their faces filled with curiosity.

Li Mingyang glanced at everyone and smiled, "Are you all very curious?"

Everyone nodded in unison, their curiosity growing even stronger.

Li Mingyang chuckled and said, "I won't tell you."

"Mingyang, that's not fair!" Zhang Ruoyun shouted.

"Director Li, just say something, it'll be exposed sooner or later anyway," Xiao Yang said.

“That’s right, that’s right,” Tang Yixin said.

"Since it's going to be exposed sooner or later, you'll find out sooner or later, so there's no rush. Come on, let's drink." Li Mingyang picked up a can of beer from the coffee table and tossed one to each of them.

Li Mingyang was unwilling to talk about it, but Zhang Ruoyun, being a bit stubborn, kept nagging, wanting to know how the Golden Palm was won.

Helpless, Li Mingyang looked at his sister-in-law.

There was a loud snap.

Zhang Ruoyun's sister-in-law slapped her on the back and said unhappily, "You talk too much."

Zhang Ruoyun was slapped so hard she was practically an embryo, and dared not ask any more questions.

Seeing this, Li Mingyang was secretly delighted, but he calmly said, "Sister-in-law, you've worked hard. Dajun is good in every way, except that she sometimes talks too much."

Tang Yixin smiled with her eyes narrowed and bumped hands with Li Mingyang.

Zhang Ruoyun rolled her eyes inwardly, but she still had to force a smile. If she didn't smile, she might get beaten up, and being beaten up in front of outsiders would be too embarrassing.

He didn't really want to know how Li Mingyang got the Palme d'Or.

The main reason was that his father and his group wanted to know, and they repeatedly told him to find out the reason.

Zhang Yimou won the Palme d'Or with the full support of the nation. Outsiders may not be aware of this, but there are no secrets within Beijing's elite circles. His father already knows the price Zhang Yimou paid.

Li Mingyang's score will only go higher.

Zhang Yimou's money came from above, while Li Mingyang's money came from his own pocket. His father suspected that Li Mingyang had gone bankrupt.

They went bankrupt but won the Palme d'Or; it wasn't a bad deal.

Li Mingyang must be short of money right now; his father wants to do a big business deal with him.

Everything is settled, except for Li Mingyang's signature.

Zhang Ruoyun observed Li Mingyang discreetly. The more she observed, the more she sensed something was off about him…

He couldn't immediately figure out what was strange about it.

When Bai Bin and his group arrived, Li Mingyang ended the brief gathering, still completely confused.

"What are you thinking about? You can speak now." Tang Yixin nudged Zhang Ruojun's ribs with her shoulder and said.

Zhang Ruoyun rubbed her aching ribs, glanced back at the door of Li Mingyang's office, and saw Li Xin standing at the door, head down, making a phone call.

"Xin Xin, don't you think Ming Yang is acting a little strange?" Zhang Ruoyun whispered.

"Now that you mention it, I also feel something's a bit strange," Tang Yixin murmured.

"Right... what do you think is strange about him?"

"He's become even more... easygoing, so gentle." Tang Yixin clasped her hands together, looking unusually feminine as she said, "Director Li is now a Palme d'Or winner, yet he has no airs at all. He might say something a little cheeky, but it's all just his kindness!"

"Look at those big directors in Beijing's film circle, aren't they all arrogant and aloof, never even looking at people?"

"Director Li is so handsome! He's so real, both handsome and cute."

Zhang Ruoyun scratched his face, not minding that his girlfriend was in heat; it was normal...

Upon hearing the sarcastic tone, Zhang Ruoyun finally realized why Li Mingyang was acting strangely.

This is none other than Li Mingyang from the old sinkhole!

That's a total rip-off!

He cheats everyone he meets... He sells people out, and they're still counting the money for him.

"Xin Xin, let's go back to Yanbei."

"Why go back? To invite Director Li over for dinner! Director Li is the most prolific filmmaker in China. We can even get a chance to tag along!"

Got it!
This is another leek being exploited...

……

Wu Zhikui, Guo Fan, and Xiao Yang looked at the script in their hands, then glanced at Bai Bin sitting upright on the sofa, and then at the four heads of the Qinglong Group's production team, directing team, screenwriting team, and art team.

There's a new project: "Miss Republic of China".

This is a film project similar to "Soulmate" and "Goodbye My Soulmate," a Chinese-Korean dual version.

Miss Republic of China is the Dongda version of Miss.

"The Handmaiden" won the Palme d'Or for Best Film, so it should be considered a very good project.

But when the three of them looked at the scattered and messy script, their hearts sank to the bottom.

The script was terrible.

Moreover, there are many aspects of the Republican era that cannot be described.

It's very easy to run into trouble, and creative freedom is extremely limited.

None of the three knew how to take the photos...

Adding to the fact that the female lead is Shirahama, the three of them felt like they'd been struck by lightning...

Take your clothes off, like a prostitute in bed, fully armed, that'll definitely be interesting to watch.

But we can't show our skin in China!

"Lust" is a good example.

Even though the lady won the Palme d'Or, she couldn't escape the trend of having almost all the sex scenes cut.

"What are your thoughts, you three? Just say it."

Li Mingyang finalized the first batch of students to study in South Korea, put thousands of resumes into a cardboard box, and stood up to speak.

"The locations and models for One-Punch Man are almost ready. I plan to start filming as soon as I get back from South Korea." Old Wu put the script on the coffee table, resolutely giving up.

"I still need to prepare for The Three-Body Problem," Guo Fan said hastily, then gave Bai Bin an apologetic smile.

"I'm okay with comedy... but can this be made into a comedy?" Xiao Yang was a million times against it, but since this was his second time in the industry, he didn't dare to say it directly like Lao Wu and Guo Fan.

What a bunch of incompetent fools! They didn't even know to take on such a good project!
Bai Bin's smile faded, and he gave Li Mingyang a wronged look.

Li Mingyang nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

But there aren't many directors who can direct a bouquet of flowers...

Instead of hiring domestic foreign aid, it would be better to bring in directors from South Korea.

Li Mingyang brought out the Chinese and Korean twin versions of Miss's film because he wanted to cultivate a director from Dongda University and train his own people.

However, the three of them clearly did not want to accept.

Li Mingyang took a document out of the drawer and handed it to Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Lao Wu and Guo Fan, stood up with extreme nervousness, and took the contract from Li Mingyang with both hands.

Upon opening it, my eyes widened in surprise.

"Director Li, I've made a fool of myself for the company and done so much for them... You... You can't do this to me!" Xiao Yang said in grief and indignation.

"I'm just asking you to take some men to the Koreans, not to die!" Li Mingyang said impatiently.

What kind of garbage are those? You want me to lead the team? You're practically sending me to my death!

It turns out that Li Mingyang gave Xiao Yang the contract for the head of the Bouquet Advanced Study Group.

I'll have to stay in South Korea for a year.

The money can't even be transferred domestically, so asking him to go to South Korea is worse than killing him.

The song "Gangnam Style" earned Xiao Yang his first pot of gold, a huge sum of money after taxes!
He even appeared on the Shanghai Spring Festival Gala stage, where his popularity surpassed that of Jay Chou, making him the talk of the town.

"Brother Li, our contract is for two years, there are still more than half a year left..."

“Your commercial performance income has plummeted this year, getting worse every month. Last month it was less than ten million. There’s no point in continuing.”

"Ten million a month is a lot! I can still sing!"

"Ten million isn't even enough to pay my salaries. If you train those people, I'll find a piece of land and support you!"

"Then...that won't be necessary..."

"I noticed you don't seem particularly interested in singing, and you spend all your free time on film sets. I've seen it all and kept it in mind, which is why I'm giving you such a great opportunity. I'm letting you lead a team, not restricting your filming. Don't you want to go to Korea to make movies?"

? ”

"Wow, really? You can go to South Korea to make a movie?"

"There's no problem with it being released in both China and South Korea."

"Then I'll do it." Xiao Yang regretted it as soon as he said it and quickly added, "I want a film contract, a Sino-Korean co-production."

“No problem, come on, sign the contract.” Li Mingyang handed over the pen.

"Can we sign them together?" Xiao Yang asked, sounding aggrieved.

"Would I lie to you? Sign it now!"

Xiao Yang glanced at the others, who were all pretending to be dead, acting as if they hadn't seen anything.

Ugh, I feel like I've been sold out...

This feeling is so familiar!

Xiao Yang was utterly helpless... mainly because he had no way to resist. He was forced to sign one contract, and then he was forced to sign another.

Then I was forced to sign yet another contract. In less than ten minutes, I signed three contracts.

Everything was interconnected, but the first contract was the worst—it involved taking a bunch of trash to South Korea for further training.

The second contract was a huge trap; he was to lead a team to produce three movies, three TV series, and three variety shows.

The third contract had a pitfall: if all nine projects were completed on time and sold, he would receive 10% of the profit; otherwise, if they were not completed, he would have to compensate 10% of the production cost.

He sold himself out step by step.

"Brother Xiao, you're going to be rich again this time, you'll make at least a hundred million!" Guo Fan said affectionately, putting his arm around Xiao Yang as they left the house.

The way they looked at Xiao Yang was like they were looking at a golden statue.

"Oh dear, it's all thanks to Director Li's high regard." Xiao Yang chuckled twice, then suddenly stopped laughing, put his arm around Lao Wu and said, "Lao Wu! Something seems off to me. Have I been sold out?"

"Didn't Director Li pay you for your commercial performance?"

"Yes, they gave it to me! It's just that the tax deduction was a bit harsh..."

"That settles it then. You earn hundreds of millions a year, why would you care about taxes?"

"But I've completely disgraced my Xiao family! My dad can't even hold his head up and call me his son anymore, and my girlfriend broke up with me."

"Didn't I run away and come back to marry you?"

"One yard owned by a yard."

Guo Fan and Lao Wu scoffed and ignored Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang watched as Li Mingyang trained two directors.

Suddenly I became very curious about how much the two of them had earned over the years. On the surface, it must be that he and Dapeng had earned the most.

But how much money the two of them made is unknown.

"Director Guo, Director Wu, I've thought about it and it's really not suitable for me to go. I'm not cut out to be a leader. How about I pay you guys to go in my place?" Xiao Yang stopped the two of them, rubbing his hands together and smiling.

"How much?" Old Wu asked.

"How about ten million?"

Old Wu and Guo Fan exchanged a glance, then patted Xiao Yang on the shoulder, one on the left and one on the right.

"It has to be you."

"Bon Voyage."

Damn, those two must have made a fortune; they don't even care about ten million.

With a sense of skepticism about the world, Xiao Yang arrived at Wang Taili's house.

When Wang Taili saw his friend return, he pulled him into the house, where a table was set with fine wine and food.

"Director Xiao, come on, let's have a drink first."

"Brother Wang, let's not rush to drink this wine. Let me tell you something..." Xiao Yang took out the three contracts from his briefcase and then recounted his experience in detail.

"Director Li, he's a very straightforward person. He didn't renege on his share of the hundreds of millions. Where can you find such a good person? Don't overthink it," Wang Taili said with a smile, putting down the contract.

"But... I just feel like something's off."

"If you ever become a Palme d'Or-winning director, you'll be even stranger than Li Mingyang. Don't think too much about it. Working for Director Li is still reliable. Come on, bottoms up." Wang Taili raised his glass, clinked it against his own, and then eagerly took a sip of Moutai.

Xiao Yang swirled the cup, still feeling uneasy, unable to drink it. "Back then, I ran away to Huayi, so my second stint was different from theirs."

"The more you feel that you are different from others, the more you really are different in retrospect."

"why?"

Wang Taili, who is more than ten years older than Xiao Yang, sees things more clearly than Xiao Yang: "People! The more they care, the more anxious they become. Don't dwell on the past, look forward. If Director Li really didn't like you, you wouldn't be where you are today."

"That's true..."

"Instead of worrying that Director Li will harm you, you should think about it: if Director Li had no desires or ambitions, that would be the real disaster..." Wang Taili sighed.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang was immediately struck by a realization. Yes, if Li Mingyang were to become without desires or wants, what would become of them?

A Palme d'Or winner and the king of Asian box office!
A versatile director who perfectly combines commerce and art, even if he really went bankrupt as some people say, he wouldn't lack money.

The golden statue is complete; it's a national symbol!
Even if he languished for ten years, he would still be one of the top directors in mainland China!

These words were like a wake-up call. Xiao Yang began to feel a chill. "Brother Wang, look at Director Li now, is he going to give up?"

"The self-produced drama 'Bouquet' is notoriously bad in the industry, but the fact that he's willing to nurture it proves that he still has ideas and motivation. You should work hard, and Director Li won't treat you unfairly."

"What are you saying? We're the Chopstick Brothers, so if I'm included, then of course Brother Wang will be too. Let's go together." Xiao Yang proactively toasted Wang Taili.

Wang Taili chuckled and clinked glasses with Xiao Yang.

He touched the three contracts Li Mingyang had given Xiao Yang; they were all expressions of trust!
Can't live up to it!

……

"Boss, how about I give it a try? I'm very familiar with the history of Dongda University. I got a perfect score in history on the college entrance exam."

"It's not easy to shoot a film set in the Republican era, but you can keep the perspective small and confine it to the Western-style house to see the big picture from the small details."

“Boss, I don’t know anything about art. I only know that domestic box office is the most important indicator. I’m willing to accept this challenge.”

"Miss Shirahama has the air of a lady from the Republic of China era. Passion doesn't have to be acrimonious; it can be like a carefully crafted cocktail, mellow on the palate, but with a bitter and lingering aftertaste, leaving one feeling intoxicated yet also with a sense of loss."

After Wu Zhikui, Guo Fan, and Xiao Yang left.

All four leaders of the Green Dragon Troupe wanted to take over the Miss Republic of China project.

They had followed Li Mingyang for so long and were eager to improve.

Li Mingyang didn't let them down; he was genuinely willing to give them a chance.

However, the four of them were dumbfounded when they saw the betting agreement made by Miss Republic of China.

"The performance-based agreement isn't just for you; it applies to everyone. Whoever takes over the Miss Republic of China project has to sign this performance-based agreement," Li Mingyang stated calmly to the four, presenting the undeniable facts.

Bai Bin got the betting contract, and upon seeing it, he immediately vomited blood – 500 million in box office revenue.

If the movie "Miss" can get 100 million in box office revenue, that would be amazing.

The Miss Republic of China title costs a whopping 500 million, and what's worse, if you don't meet that amount, you have to pay compensation!
Who would dare take that job?!
"Boss, I can forgo my salary, and the cost won't be too high... This demand for 500 million in box office revenue is too outrageous. Can you lower it?" For the sake of his acting career, Bai Bin took the initiative to lower his demands.

"Do you know what the most valuable thing about Miss Republic of China is? The adaptation rights are worth ten million US dollars."

The four leaders of the Azure Dragon Gang dared not take over and lowered their heads one by one.

The project is there, but there's no money to get it started.

Shirahama was so angry she wanted to kill someone. The adaptation rights were sold for such a high price, how are they going to film this Republic of China era lady?

When will I be able to become an actress...?

"You four go and organize the self-produced dramas that Bouquet filmed in the first half of this year. I'll look at them tomorrow."

The four nodded hastily and left silently.

Bai Bin watched the four people leave, and when he got to the office, only he and Li Mingyang were left.

She immediately unbuttoned her black suit jacket, opened it wide, and then unbuttoned her white shirt one button at a time, revealing her snow-white collarbone. She then walked over to Li Mingyang with a light laugh.

A black, form-fitting pencil skirt rested lightly against the edge of the table.

“Boss, how about… you give me the project, and I’ll find someone to film it?” Bai Bin said.

"This project is a company project; I don't outsource it." Li Mingyang clicked the mouse, opened League of Legends, and prepared to play a couple of games.

On the left side of the login screen is his handsome photo.

Tencent originally offered him a one-year, 100 million yuan endorsement contract, but Li Mingyang renewed it for another year after it expired.

Eighty million a year.

Ever since he won the Palme d'Or, Tencent has wanted to increase his offer and upgrade him to a global ambassador.

Li Mingyang ignored the penguin; he plans to stop endorsing the product after this year.

Seeing that Li Mingyang remained unmoved, Bai Bin snorted, grabbed his collar with both hands, and pulled it forcefully to both sides.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Clothes ripped off!

White buttons fell one after another, one of which gently hit Li Mingyang's face.

Li Mingyang glanced at Bai Bin and thought, "How boring. He's wearing a white lace bra."

Bai Bin slid down along the edge of the table, kneeling on both knees, and gently relieved the pressure on Li Mingyang's legs with her fair hands.

Like ants climbing a tree, they headed towards the granary.

Her charming face, her large, watery eyes, and her soft murmurs attracted Li Mingyang's attention.

Unfortunately, Li Mingyang only had eyes for bounty hunters.

I keep asking her, but I won't ask her.

"Master, what's so fun about the game..." Bai Bin stammered, her voice soft and melodious, tantalizing and enticing.

"Playing games is free, you're too expensive. If you're free, go downstairs and prepare dinner for me."

"Master, Little White is hungry too..."

"Go eat if you're hungry, don't bother me."

"Master, this is the best!"

Shirahama opened his mouth and exaggeratedly licked his lips, his scarlet mouth concealing endless desire.

"Stop being so reckless, or I'll lose." Although Li Mingyang didn't look at Bai Bin, the sensation of Bai Bin's touch against his body and the rhythm of her fingers painted a picture of a beautiful spring scene in his mind.

Fantasy is far more beautiful than what we see.

Flowers appear even more beautiful through the mist.

As Bai Bin's shouts grew increasingly labored and his forces continued to accumulate, Li Mingyang's mind gradually drifted away from the game.

Twenty minutes are up, surrender now.

A surprise attack on Xiaobai's valley.

"Master... wait a minute..."

Seeing that Li Mingyang had taken the bait, Bai Bin rolled on the ground and went a long way.

After serving as Li Mingyang's secretary for more than half a year, Bai Bin came to a profound understanding of a principle.

That means when two armies are at war, they have to make the unpleasant things clear up beforehand.

Once the show is over, Li Mingyang will definitely deny everything.

(End of this chapter)