Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 279: Revolutionary Weapons Are Destroying the Revolution (Additional Update for Alliance Leader [Kill the Devil])
At the end of May, Lu Kuan temporarily left the crew and returned to Peking to attend the premiere of Ning Hao's new film "Bullfighting".

Since meeting Lu Kuan in 2002, Ning Hao has basically established his own path as a commercial film director with the trilogy "Crazy Stone", "Crazy Racing" and "Crazy Travel" (Lost in Thailand).

But as long as he is a director, he will always have his own auteurist tendency in film creation.

Even Lu Kuan, who calls himself a commercial film director, is not immune to this trend, let alone Ning Hao, who is already influenced by his fellow countryman, Section Chief Jia?
Especially Ning Hao in later generations, in the first few low-budget films and short films in his career, he has been committed to making waves in the small pond of art films.

He kept trying despite repeated failures until 2005, when the film "Green Grassland", which he made with a budget of 10 yuan, was sent to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, where he met his mentor, Andy Lau.

The latter selected him for the "Asian Rising Star Director" program, the last of six places for young Asian directors.

Therefore, after the "Crazy Trilogy", Boss Lu, who put himself in his shoes, took Wai Pit Tiger's "Bullfighting" and gave it to him and his old partner Huang Bo to work on, in order to explore their own narrative rhythm and audio-visual language.

In the Guomao business district of Chaoyang District, Beijing, there is the Wenjie Golden Harvest IMAX Cinema.

Huang Bo, wearing a well-fitting suit, was walking around in front of director Ning Hao who was preparing to welcome guests.

"Can you please stop? You're making me vomit my dinner."

"Oh no! I see the boss hasn't come yet, I'm so anxious!"

Ning Hao teased him, "No wonder Boss Lu always says you have a high EQ in every meeting. It's true, but the fact that the boss isn't in person doesn't affect your loyalty, does it?"

"It's so rare to get a chance to show my face in front of him. Maybe I can even be in Mr. Lu's movie."

Ning Hao feigned anger: "You're such a loser! You're in Cao's camp, but your heart is with Han, right?"

"What do you mean by defeat?"

Boss Lu walked over with a smile, Ning Hao stood up with a smile, and Huang Bo also came forward with a humble attitude.

"Boss, where did you come from? We've been guarding you at the door for more than ten minutes."

"A group of reporters blocked the road, so I came in through the employee passage."

"Outlasting defeat? Huang Boxin's new nickname?"

Ning Hao smiled and said, "Guangtou Xu gave it to him. When we were filming Bullfight, he drank a pound and a half of it at his fellow villager's house in Linyi."

"Except for the locals, the rest of us were outlasted by him. We were defeated, haha."

Boss Lu looked the "Qingdao lady" up and down in amazement. "You're amazing! You can talk and drink. Even if you're not an actress, you can still be a good PR manager."

"Hey, hey, hey, boss, please don't criticize me. My dream is to become an actor and win the Best Actor award."

Huang Bo grinned and said, "Of course. Boss Lu, if you need me to perform at the bar anytime, I'll be there for you!"

"Hahahaha! Okay, let's go have a drink after tonight. We've worn ourselves out in Tangshan lately."

Leaders should also visit the grassroots more often. It is beneficial and harmless for men to drink and chat with each other.

Huang Bo was overjoyed: "Okay! Okay! I'll arrange for Mr. Lu. My buddy has a small barbecue yard on the East Third Ring Road. I told him not to do business tonight and prepare everything for us."

There was still more than an hour until the premiere, and the three of them were chatting and laughing.

Gao Jun came over and said, "Boss Lu, this is the assistant store manager, An Yugang, a top student from Guangyuan University that the company just hired this year."

Guangyuan is Communication University of China, and it was renamed in 2004. Old Beijingers like Gao Jun are used to calling it that.

"Mr. Lu, it's nice to finally meet you. Please give me more criticism and suggestions!"

An Yuguang was very excited. Facing this industry giant who was only about the same age as him and had just graduated from college, he could hardly contain his admiration.

Boss Lu smiled and shook his hand: "Do a good job."

In fact, it was he who instructed Gao Jun to recruit An Yuguang.

Wenjie Jiahe is expanding steadily across the country, but it is facing a severe shortage of reserve talent.

These days, there are too few employees who can share the marketing ideas of him, Gao Jun and others.

An Yuguang graduated from Communication University of China this year. He later started his own business and established Beijing Yingxing Tianxia Culture Communication Co., Ltd., which is involved in theater management and film distribution business.

"Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters", "Aquaman", "Mission: Impossible 6: Fallout" and other projects are all managed by him.

He has great potential for development and cultivation in strategic coordination, promotion planning, media integration, etc. He can be regarded as a reserve cadre to be trained as Gao Jun's deputy.

Boss Lu wanted to test him: "Xiao An, I'm going to put you, a top student, to work as an assistant in a theater to familiarize yourself with the business. Do you have any complaints?"

Andy On said respectfully, "Boss, I've completely immersed myself in the management of the theater. How can I complain?"

"Oh? Then introduce me to him."

Boss Lu was a little skeptical.

This super luxurious cinema, Wenjie Golden Harvest, located in the Guomao business district, opened in April. It is billed as the first Imax giant-screen cinema in Beijing, and its ticket prices are 4% more expensive than those of ordinary cinemas.

An Zhi has only been here for less than a week, and he is so confident?

"Road guide!"

"Mr. Lu."

While everyone was talking, several actors from the industry arrived early to show their support. They were Wu Ershan, Hu Ge, and Su Chang, who were filming "Zhu Xian 2" in Shidu, Beiping.

Boss Lu inexplicably felt that something was wrong.

Bingbing's identity is sensitive and he has no connection with Ning Hao, so he might as well not come.

Where did Concubine Liu Yi go?

In the past, shouldn't she be the most active in such occasions?

Su Chang was alert and secretly observed the washing machine's fleeting doubt. Seeing him turn around and say to An Yugang, "Okay, many people in our company have never been here. Can you introduce it to us?"

Since the big boss of Tongtian asked the questions in person, An Yuguang naturally did not dare to be negligent and led everyone inside.

"Everyone, we are at the Golden Harvest Cinema Guomao Branch, the first ultra-luxury cinema in Beijing with an Imax giant screen."

"Our sound system uses the most advanced digital stereo equipment in the world, including Dolby Digital electronic three-way, JBL speakers and Danish Crown amplifier system, as well as Dolby's latest CP650 6.1-channel system."

He then compared this luxurious system with the infrastructure of other cinemas on the market, and his words showed a high level of professionalism.

Boss Lu had a blank expression on his face. He was the one who approved the purchase of these expensive equipment, so he knew what was going on.

But Wu Ershan, Huang Bo, Su Chang, Hu Ge and others were all surprised. It was rare to see a domestic cinema manager who was so familiar with top foreign equipment.

Several people walked into a theater and An Yugang walked to the big screen.

"This is a metal wide-viewing angle screen imported from the UK, and the projector is the famous American brand Strong."

"The theater is also equipped with a high-end conference sound reinforcement system, which is not only suitable for movie screenings but also for various events."

An Zhigang glanced at Gao Jun and gritted his teeth, "By the way, Mr. Lu, last week we received an application for the use of a venue for a marriage proposal. It should be the son of a coal boss in Jin Province."

"He offered 8 yuan for the entire place, from 6pm to 11pm."

Boss Lu was puzzled: "I haven't seen this OA report. What process did you follow?"

Gao Jun was a little embarrassed. "Mr. Lu, this is a marketing idea that Xiao An and I discussed. I'm in charge of the process. We're worried..."

"Are you worried that the reputation of high-end cinemas will be damaged by this kind of thing, affecting the normal screening order of the cinemas?"

"Correct."

Boss Lu smiled and said nothing, noticing the immaturity of An Zhigang, a newcomer to the workplace.

However, with so many people present, now is not the time to deal with this matter.

He tilted his head and continued to ask questions: "Tell me what you think."

"The May Day peak season has just passed, and now the Imax giant screen theater in the cinema has a total of 280 seats, and the ticket price is about 30 yuan higher than that of ordinary cinemas."

"Even if the theater is fully booked, the operating revenue from ticket prices alone for a movie in the giant screen theater is less than 2 yuan. Even at the best-case scenario, the studio can only earn less than 6 yuan during the rental period requested by the customer."

"So I think the rental fee of 8... can be agreed."

"Aren't you worried that your reputation as a high-end brand will be affected by so-called coal bosses, local tycoons, and the like?"

An Yugang adjusted his glasses and said, "I think this is a rare marketing opportunity with more benefits than disadvantages."

"Gao Jun, you see, young people are more thoughtful."

Boss Lu changed the subject: "But the idea is still relatively immature and not bold enough."

An Yugang's smug expression froze as he saw the young director across from him survey the interior of the theater. "Why 8? Just get a 28.8 package!"

"Boss Lu, although these coal bosses are rich, the price..."

Boss Lu laughed and said, "8 has its own ways of playing. 8 certainly doesn't just offer one theater, right?"

"10 yuan for the venue rental, 5 yuan for the atmosphere, catering, commemorative T-shirts and other materials, leaving less than 14 yuan for providing him with high-quality video shooting and editing services."

"You can find Ning Hao or Wu Ershan, someone from the Beijing Film Academy's photography department or someone who runs an advertising studio, and outsource it for 5000 to 10000 yuan."

The young director turned to Ning Hao and asked, "How much did you charge for shooting music videos two years ago?"

"The money given to the Tang Dynasty band was over 2, while ordinary people would get less than 8000."

"Look, Ning Hao was a top director in the field of MV shooting in Beijing before his debut. This is the price. You can negotiate."

He counted on his fingers, "Every year on May 520th, Valentine's Day, and Chinese Valentine's Day, if we set aside three or five halls to focus on this marketing topic, we could easily make a million a day."

"Also, coal bosses all have their own little circles and like to show off their wealth to each other. Put up ads on blogs to entice them into competing in spending."

"When the trend becomes popular, we'll use hunger marketing, increase the price by booking reservations, and even put the most expensive Imax theater up for online auction. Isn't that simple?"

Eyes: Very simple

Heart: I’m not dirty enough.

In the huge theater, the directors and artists were silent. Gao Jun and An Yugang from Golden Harvest were stunned and didn't know how to respond.

My head is itchy, I need to grow a brain again...

"Of course, nothing stays the same."

Boss Lu was afraid that he might lead this future talent who had just graduated from Communication University of China astray, so he went back to make some corrections.

"The only blockbuster movies in China right now are during the Spring Festival. The sales of high-end theaters like yours are probably still quite low during the rest of the time."

"But this high-end cinema route and model is our expansion strategy for Golden Harvest in first-tier cities. We must occupy this high-end position."

"What I just said to you is just to let you judge the situation and do a good job of self-marketing. After all, even good wine needs a bush."

"We should prioritize our main and side businesses, and not put the cart before the horse."

An Yugang bowed respectfully: "Yes! Leader!"

After a brief inspection, everyone chatted and laughed as they returned to the cinema hall to prepare for the premiere reception in the evening.

Su Chang walked at the back of the crowd, looking at the company boss with a very bad conscience, and thought that her best friend's skills were definitely not enough to play with others.

No wonder she was forced to transform into a suicide truck and fight for her life.

The entrance to the cinema gradually became lively. The entertainment reporters were surprised to see Lu Kuan appear, and rushed towards him as if they had seen a living father.

"Lu Dao, Lu Dao, I heard that Jang Nara returned directly to Korea after returning from Cannes. Does this have anything to do with you?"

"Director Lu, how is the filming of 'Tangshan Earthquake' going?"

Boss Lu was shaking hands with Ren Zhonglun from Shanghai Film Group, who came to show his support, when he was immediately surrounded by cameras.

Ren Zhonglun patted the back of his hand affectionately and said, "Director Lu, you are very busy. You should just deal with your errand first."

Ning Hao came forward with a smile and led Ren Zhonglun inside.

Wenjie Xiying's current distribution capabilities are limited, and the recent "Supermarket" (Nightclub) and "Bad Genius" have already occupied most of the manpower and resources.

Therefore, "Bullfighting" was handed over to Shanghai Film Group and Bona for joint distribution. This low-budget art film with an investment of 700 million was simply released to socialize with peers in the industry.

The young director then calmly turned to the increasing number of entertainment reporters who had heard the news:
"You should ask the two Mr. Wangs from Huayi about Miss Zhang Nara. I definitely don't know."

"The filming of 'Tangshan Earthquake' is progressing normally and is expected to be released during the Spring Festival."

"In addition, starting from June, we will be organized by Wenjie as the organizer, and through cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security, local cultural and tourism departments, and emergency management departments, we will carry out public welfare activities on earthquake escape and protection, and search and rescue knowledge in cities in the earthquake zone across the country. Please pay attention."

The plan for this charity event is still being formulated, and a dedicated team will be responsible for its orderly implementation in the future, especially in certain key areas.

Boss Lu was just taking this opportunity to speak out.

Yu Dong from Baoli Bernardo came up and said with a smile, "Boss Lu!"

"Old Yu, business has been good lately, hasn't it?"

"Oh no! Even with all my skills, I still have to follow your lead. Just clear a path for us and we'll just follow it!"

Finally having a chance to flatter someone, Yu Dong went all out, not giving anyone else any chance to socialize.

From 2004 to 2005, under the leadership of Yu Dong, Polybona followed the development path of Wenjie, invested in Shancheng Wanhe Cinema Line, and established Polybona Cinema Line.

He also took up the position of general manager of Oriental Dragon Film Company at the beginning of this year, and is also the chairman of Poly Vanward Cinemas Co., Ltd.

Gu Changwei's "Peacock" and Xu Jinglei's "Letter from a Stranger" are both works of this new film company.

Although it cannot be compared with the scale of the film industry, it can be said that it has integrated the film industry chain of production, distribution and theaters.

As the number of people at the scene grew, the chairs in the guest seats were insufficient. An Zhigang walked over to Ning Hao and Boss Lu and whispered, "Boss Lu, Director Ning, something went wrong..."

"what happened?"

"Many people in the industry who were not invited or who were originally unable to attend the meeting... all came. The site may not have been well prepared with materials and other aspects."

Gao Jun, who had just hung up the phone, came over and said, "Huo Wenxi from Eagle King brought some artists to show their support. They're already at the bottom of the building."

Huang Bo laughed and said, "These guys didn't know Director Lu was coming at first, so they all rushed over to make themselves known to him, haha."

"Well, it's my fault."

Lu Kuan laughed dumbly, then immediately instructed An Zhigang: "Call the building's property management and go borrow or buy it."

"I'll chat with the guests later and do more interaction on stage to buy you some time."

"Not only will 'Bullfighting' be featured today, but our only IMAX theater in Beijing will also expand its influence, killing two birds with one stone."

Liu Yan took the stage to host the premiere and it began soon.

In order to avoid stealing the limelight from today's theme and Ning Hao's movie, Boss Lu took the initiative to bring the topic to "Bullfighting" on stage.

"It can be said that Director Ning's work has made great progress compared to the commercial films in the previous Crazy Trilogy in terms of humanistic depth and theme exploration, vivid and three-dimensional character portrayal, and novel narrative structure."

“It’s very rare for a director to have the spirit of self-evolution.”

Lu Kuan was also generous in his praise for his own director: "Let me make a bold prediction or expectation here. I am optimistic about the performance of 'Bullfighting' at this year's Golden Horse Awards."

“In addition, I also sent the sample to Marco Muller in Venice, and the film has been selected to participate in the Horizon section of the Venice Film Festival in August.”

Before he finished speaking, the artists and directors at the scene cheered and applauded, and the atmosphere was very warm.

Ning Hao looked at the company boss with gratitude, who was generous in sharing and helping others. Of course, he was also his role model and learning object on the road to becoming a director.

With this said, it is entirely foreseeable that "Bullfighting" will reach a higher level of competitiveness in terms of box office performance.

The premiere will start soon, but the guests who came to Lu Kuan will obviously not let him go easily.

At the very least, you have to make yourself familiar to others and go around them, right?

The premiere was a great success, and Golden Harvest's super luxurious cinema also successfully attracted the attention of industry insiders and reporters, making it a hit.

After the event, all the artists from all walks of life took the initiative to stay and socialize and receive guests. Popular young actors such as Hu Ge did not show any impatience and were very humble.

Huo Wenxi, who came to show his support, watched coldly from the sidelines, knowing that such corporate culture was absolutely inseparable from the leadership.

In the entertainment industry, people are often self-righteous and flatter the powerful and look down on the weak, especially within a company where there are countless infightings.

In addition to Boss Lu's "rule by man", a more effective means to bring fresh air to the entertainment industry is a reasonable artist training model.

Different career development paths mean that there is not much conflict of interest among these artists in the same company.

Otherwise, even with the pressure from a leader like Boss Lu, internal intrigue is inevitable.

"Chang, do you want to go? Take my car?" Hu Ge's assistant went to drive the car, and he took the opportunity to invite a female artist in the company with whom he had a good relationship to join him.

"Huh? Oh, you go first, I want to talk to Mr. Lu about something!"

Hu Ge didn't doubt it: "Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Bye~~~"

Su Chang glanced at Boss Lu, who was still chatting and laughing with Ren Zhonglun, and felt a little uneasy.

Concubine Liu Yi's determination that night made her a little frightened. From an outsider's perspective, she extremely doubted whether such a plan could work.

Especially since she got the female lead role in "My Sassy Girl", and Jang Nara was known as the little queen of Korea in the domestic entertainment industry just a second ago, launching a fierce attack on Liu Yifei's position.

The next second, he was disgraced and fled back to South Korea without a trace.

Such cruel means made her a little scared, even though the Korean actress who was framed was a complete rival.

But the transition between friend and enemy often happens in an instant, especially in the eyes of ruthless capital.

If Sissi angers him...

She didn't dare to imagine the worst and most tragic consequences.

But if she were asked to tell the washing machine now, she would feel sorry for her best friend's deep affection.

She risked everything for a chance to get the real answer from this man. How could he bear to ruin it and leave her with regrets in her life?
"Hey! What are you daydreaming about?"

"what!"

Su Chang felt a little guilty, so he covered his chest and turned around. Boss Lu and A Fei were standing behind him.

"Where's your assistant? How are you going to get home tonight?"

"Ah... I came here in Lao Hu's car." Su Chang's face showed even more hesitation. He pretended to check the time and took out his mobile phone to avoid eye contact with his boss.

During these few days of entanglement, she always thought of some "old" rumors that almost no one dared to mention in front of him.

A little god in the entertainment industry.

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

She didn't dare to reveal her intentions directly, as even the slightest clue might arouse the washing machine's suspicion.

Because she hasn't figured out what to say, or how to help her best friend without showing it.

"Why don't you hurry back? Ah Fei, please send me off. I'll go with Mr. Ren's car."

Boss Lu looked Su Chang up and down as she draped her coat over her arm. "Put on some clothes. A little girl exposing her belly button can easily make her sick."

After saying that, he turned and walked into the cinema.

Su Chang waved his hands when he heard this: "No, no, no, I can walk on my own! Don't bother me!" "Oh! By the way." Lu Kuan turned back again: "Where's Xiao Liuren? I finished the show with you guys today, so why didn't he come over?"

Su Chang thought to himself, it's because I have to confront you that I'm in such a gloomy mood now. How can I have the leisure time to hang around in front of you again?

"Xixi...um...she must be tired from filming today, so she went home with Aunt Liu."

Boss Lu was noncommittal: "Oh, okay."

"Don't be so stubborn, Ah Fei, just go back to the courtyard after you send her off."

"Ok."

Su Chang wanted to refuse, but A Fei didn't care. He drove the Bentley Elantra to the entrance of the cinema and got out to help her open the door.

"Sister Su Chang, where are you going?"

"The new Royal View of Warwick Bridge, thank you, A Fei."

Su Chang has developed steadily in the past two years. His movie roles are consistent with his character image and acting skills, and he has been working hard on TV dramas, but his personal income is far from explosive.

This villa, with an average price of more than 10,000 yuan, was purchased after I listened to Boss Lu's house-buying advice at the company-wide meeting.

Su Chang looked at the luxurious interior of the car and leaned back in the fully enclosed sofa with a heavy heart.

"A Fei, how long have you been following Boss Lu?"

"More than two years."

"I heard from Xixi that he tricked you into coming to Yanbian to trace your roots."

Su Chang chatted with the cold-faced bodyguard in a casual manner.

If there are only two people in the car and they don't talk, the atmosphere will seem weird.

After all, she is not his leader, so she seems to be sitting there with a clear conscience.

"Uh...yes, but it doesn't matter."

"This is my home."

Ah Fei pursed his lips, but still said something from his heart.

Given his extremely introverted personality, he couldn't bring himself to express his loyalty in front of Lu Kuan, nor did he feel the need to do so.

Lu Kuan treated him like a younger brother, and never owed him anything or treated him differently in terms of food, clothing and other daily necessities.

It’s just that some words are kept in the heart, and everyone has the desire to share and express them.

Boss Lu’s approach can be said to be winning people’s hearts, but it is definitely not called being humble.

What does it mean to respect the wise and humble yourself?

In modern society, being respectful to the wise and humble is the most ridiculous sense of class superiority.

Under the concept of equal personality, such words will only make people feel instinctive resistance and rejection. Why am I naturally "inferior"?
Ah Fei has a closed personality, but he is bright-eyed and bright-hearted. Lu Kuan's kindness, trust and treatment of him as a family member are integrated into their lives.

For example, I can share a bowl of fish noodle soup prepared by Xiao Liu with Mr. Lu;
For example, he quietly purchased a property for him in Peking, and when the matter was done, he simply asked Sun Wenwen to take him to complete the formalities, and never brought up the topic of granting him an official position or making a wish for him.

Su Chang deliberately asked, "A Fei, do you think that Mr. Lu treats Liu Yifei differently from how he treats other female celebrities?"

"do not know."

"Then let me ask you another question. Do you think Liu Yifei is suitable to be your boss's wife?"

"You'll have to ask the boss."

Su Chang was unwilling to give up and asked again: "Then do you think that if Liu Yifei makes him angry, he will do the same to Liu Yifei as he did to Jang Nara?"

"Who is Jang Nara?"

. . .

After more than 20 minutes of driving, Su Chang leaned his head against the car window in despair, no longer having the energy to say another word.

When she got home, the first thing she did was go into her bedroom and call her best friend.

"Hey?"

"What are you doing?"

"draw."

"What to draw?"

"A puppy, a male one."

Su Chang was completely aware of her depressed mood and seemed to have no interest in saying another word. After thinking for a moment, he took the initiative to talk about a happy topic.

A white lie passed through the phone and reached Painter Liu's ears: "The washing machine asked you today, why didn't Xiao Liu come?"

"Then I told you that you were too tired from filming, so I went back with Aunt Liu."

Su Chang waited for a few seconds but the supporting actor didn't come: "Hello? Are you hanging up?"

"No, continue?"

"Liu Yifei, how come you don't have any sense of public morality when chatting? You should respond at this time: What did he say?"

"Then what did he say?"

"Don't tell you!"

Concubine Liu Yi chuckled: "I'm going to find him tomorrow and ask him myself."

"Ah? Don't you want to see him now?"

"Tomorrow I'm going to his office to pick up the script for the Holocaust film. This is work, and I need to keep it separate from personal feelings."

Su Chang: I don’t believe you, you are in the late stage of love brain.

Seeing that she was not in the mood to chat, the two best friends chatted for a few minutes and then hung up the phone.
-
Since Zhao Fei, one of the extras in the Tangshan crew, was fully capable of handling the role, Boss Lu took time off the next day to return to Ideal Building to handle the backlog of official business.

There was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of high heels approaching from afar.

Lu Kuan didn't even raise his head: "Put it on the table first, I'll take a look at it later."

After waiting for a few seconds and seeing that Sun Wenwen didn't reply, he looked up blankly and saw Liu Yifei standing in front of the desk with a smile on her face.

From the decision I made that night in Chengdu to my even stronger resolve after talking with Zhang Chunru yesterday.

Xiao Liu is now clear-headed and can examine the washing machine calmly.

Boss Lu's eyes swept across her feet, and then his gaze moved from her long white legs to her slender waist that could be held in one hand.

"Why are you dressed so maturely today? Don't you usually dislike wearing high heels? I thought you were Sun Wenwen."

"You should try to get used to things you don't like, right? You can't just give up because you're a coward, right?"

"what?"

Lu Kuan looked at the calm little girl in confusion: "What's the matter? You're here to drink chicken soup so early in the morning?"

"I suggest you put a few noodles in the chicken soup. At least it will fill you up instead of just being watery."

Xiao Liu rolled his eyes at him out of habit, not having the time to argue with him. He sat on the sofa and made tea for himself.

"Which one do you use for tea?"

The tea table is used frequently for entertaining guests, so Concubine Liu Yi naturally dislikes the ones used by others. Even if they have been washed, ironed and disinfected at high temperatures, they still feel uncomfortable.

Boss Lu picked up a piece of purple clay teapot with a shiny surface from his hand.

"I always drink from the spout. You can just pour water from the edge of the pot."

Concubine Liu Yi poured boiling water over her body again and again: "Are you okay?"

“Does tooth decay count?”

Xiao Liu didn't pay attention and got burned, and the purple clay pot was lightly hit by the edge of the kettle.

"Auntie, please be careful!" Boss Lu looked at her clumsy behavior with concern.

"Is this thing expensive?" Liu Yifei picked up the purple clay and examined it carefully, puzzled.

"Gu Jingzhou's Shangxinqiao teapot is priceless."

Gu Jingzhou was a master of teapot art who was born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province in 1915 and died of illness in 1996.

His representative works mainly include wall-handling pots with dignified and regular shapes and rigorous and reasonable structures, monk's hat pots with strong and powerful lines and exquisite craftsmanship, etc.

At the Sizhen Art Auction in 2013, one of his Shangxinqiao teapots was valued at around 110 million yuan.

Liu Yifei curled her lips jokingly. She was naturally not interested in these things and just thought that washing machines were a waste of money.

"Knock knock!" Long Danni poked her head in. "Boss Lu, I'm here to report on my work."

"Oh, please come in."

"Hello, Sister Long!"

"Hello, Yifei. It's been a while. Yesterday, Chen Luyu asked me if she could invite you to do another show."

Liu Yifei waved her hand and smiled, "I've been very busy lately. I've been filming from morning till night, and I've been exploited quite badly by the capitalists."

Xiao Liu's eyes seemed to scour the washing machine on the desk, but unfortunately there was no response.

An attack of this magnitude wouldn't even be able to break his face.

Long Danni knew that Liu Yifei was not an outsider, so she began to report her recent work to her leader in person.

Concubine Liu Yi was also quietly sipping the water-ground black tea, watching attentively how he handled his business work.

She has seen many scenes of filming and deception, so this kind of serious style of dialogue is still very worth learning.

It was not much different from the business school courses at the University of Chicago and Urbana-Champaign, which she was interested in applying to, but was actually more intuitive and vivid.

Lu Kuan sat at his desk, flipping through the paper materials submitted by Long Danni.

The above is the program planning of "The Voice of China" and the market research report of Hunan TV's "Super Girl".

"There's something wrong with your thinking."

Boss Lu, who had just flipped through a few pages, gave his subordinate a ruthless rejection.

"Don't transplant the experience of 'Super Girl' to 'The Voice of China'. We've already overdrawn the life of this show. Now with the four black restrictions, Hunan TV can't make a comeback. It's just a sip of the leftover soup."

The boss of Wenjie pondered for two seconds and gave specific instructions: "The four black rules have requirements regarding program length, so our program schedule must also be shortened."

"We can't do it like last year's Super Girl, which ran from the end of February to National Day in October, and used the participation of offline events to attract votes and chart rankings."

"Therefore, the first program is tentatively scheduled to start in the summer season, a little over a month from now, and will last a maximum of four months, with a total of no more than 4 episodes."

"Secondly, if you want to be selective, don't try to find a needle in a haystack. Just like the Pan-Asia Film Academy, you can select students through professional channels such as music schools and recommendations from music producers."

Long Danni said in embarrassment: "Boss Lu, actually, this is also how we planned the first plan."

The first set of plans was set up strictly in accordance with the program process of "The Voice of China" in later generations.

"If we follow that plan, this first phase of investment promotion may not meet expectations..."

The total amount of the title sponsorship, pre- and post-time slots, and embedded advertising for "Super Girl" is as high as 2.2 million yuan. This year, Boss Lu's goal for the station is to start at 3 million yuan.

"After a year of rapid progress, we are on the verge of catching up with Hunan TV. Now everyone is working hard to maximize the commercial value of this successor program."

"so..."

Lu Kuan did not interrupt her explanation and could understand this working idea.

It is normal that the relatively less frenetic talent show format of "The Voice of China" was not recognized by the market before it became a big hit.

In any case, under market conditions, ignoring social value, the level of commercial value is the only measure of the quality of a program.

That is why Hunan TV set up an ugly and scripted program model in the early stage.

The same goes for Travel Channel.

If we use last year's plan, we will only go one step further in advertising bidding and achieve growth effortlessly.

But you, Long Danni, are now using this bland program plan and hoping to get advertising prices equal to or higher than last year's...

Isn't it a bit like bullying us manufacturers who don't know what's going on?
To give an inappropriate example, it is like testing traffic among primary school students with serious novels and comic books. Regardless of other values, primary school students will definitely choose comic books.

Primary school students are the current audience of satellite TV music and talent show variety shows. They are not aware of the new model of "The Voice of China" and need guidance.

Your Travel Channel is now bringing out this drastically revamped "Voice of China". Even if its reputation was very good last year, it cannot attract big advertising orders instantly.

Liu Yifei stared at the washing machine without blinking, stroking the warm Shangxinqiao kettle in her hand, and watching the live business class attentively.

Boss Lu naturally wanted to correct Long Danni's wrong thinking:
“Business value is the result you deserve after doing the right thing, rather than using expected business value to shackle your thinking and innovation.”

“It’s putting the cart before the horse.”

Long Danni frowned: "Director Lu, what do you mean?"

Concubine Liu Yi was also puzzled and wanted to hear how Lu Kuan would explain it.

"I'll give you an example and you'll understand."

"During the Fourth Crossing of the Chishui River, the old man ordered the soldiers to push their heavy artillery into the water and march lightly, so as to implement his combat intentions and marching routes."

“The soldiers, whom I didn’t know, asked, ‘Are you destroying revolutionary weapons?’”

"The old man said, 'It's not me who is destroying the revolutionary weapons, it's the revolutionary weapons that are destroying the revolution.'"

“In the same way, commercial values ​​are destroying your commercial programming.”

Long Danni and Liu Yifei both looked up suddenly, stunned by the essence of dialectics that seemed like a tongue twister.

Boss Lu patiently coaxed: "The commercial value in your eyes is the heavy artillery that affects the speed of The Voice of China."

"You must be brave enough to make sacrifices and put the correct program direction before short-term commercial value!"

"Although the current advertising and investment opportunities are not meeting expectations, if you wait until one or two episodes have passed and then watch again, you will gain revolutionary weapons far beyond your imagination!"

Long Danni's brows relaxed and she nodded continuously, feeling that the great man's dialectical thinking was so exquisite.

She said sincerely, "Boss Lu, let's put the program title and... on hold for now."

"We'll ask the industry to sponsor us first, and with a month's preparation time, we'll make this show a huge hit."

Boss Lu leaned back confidently in his chair and crossed his legs.

"If no advertisers give you money through the back door to buy sponsorship space, it means you, Long Danni, are not doing your job well!"

Long Danni said she didn't dare, took a few documents and asked for signatures, then nodded to Liu Yifei and left.

Boss Lu glanced at Xiao Liu who seemed to be lost in thought.

"You're listening intently, aren't you? Do you understand?"

"Understood."

Boss Lu looked down on others and said, "A little knowledge? Come here, come here."

Lu Kuan raised his chin towards Liu Yifei and said, "Since you have nothing to do, come and play the role of my mistress."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Liu walked to the desk with a curious look on his face.

Boss Lu pointed to a thick stack of documents and said, "These are all documents I've approved. There are review comments at the bottom of each one."

"Please scan each one for me first to see if there are any that have been missed."

"Then check the document number and review comments in the OA process and enter the postscript."

As he spoke, he gave up his seat and sat on the sofa, and the working girl Xiao Liu took his place temporarily.

Seeing him rubbing his eyes and putting eye drops in, Concubine Liu Yi couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"I've been working on the earthquake special effects shots I just shot recently. My eyes are sore from editing the movie that I don't feel like looking at the computer."

"It was my own idea to go paperless at the company, so I can't be the first to violate it."

Xiao Liu covered his mouth and laughed, "You won't end up like Wang Jiawei, will you? Wearing sunglasses every day."

"Eye transplants are now available in the United States. Lend me your big eyes when the time comes."

Concubine Liu Yi looked up at the washing machine, which was leaning against the sofa with its eyes closed. "I'd better not do that. My eyes don't like to see dirty things."

She sat at her desk, looking through the contents and comments of each document one by one, taking this opportunity to learn from others.

It's just that Boss Lu's work scope is extremely broad, and she sometimes looks vacant, sometimes thinks deeply, and can't help biting her fingers when she encounters a brain-burning problem.

"Lu Kuan, what is this word you wrote..."

Liu Yifei suddenly looked up and saw that the young director on the sofa was snoring softly, so she quickly stopped talking.

She stood up and walked to Lu Kuan, staring at his angular profile for a while with bated breath, then sighed and sat back in front of the computer cautiously.

It is said that the land of pleasure is the grave of heroes, where men become intoxicated and indulged.

But for Liu Yifei, who is only eighteen years old, companionship like this is enough for her to cherish.

During this period, she had been thinking and hesitating about the rightness of that decision, and she couldn't help but fear and worry about the worst outcome.

Especially with such an intimate and warm relationship, at that moment, Concubine Liu Yi almost had the idea of ​​retreating.

How nice it would be if I could keep deceiving myself like this.

But she couldn't convince herself after all. She knew that the illusion of flowers and splendor before her was just a temporary tenderness, a beautiful trap.

There will always be an irreconcilable contradiction between the two.

She knew that Lu Kuan would be delighted to see her cowardice and avoidance, and would wish she didn't have to celebrate this birthday.

This way he can have the best of both worlds with a clear conscience.

But this will undoubtedly destroy all your beautiful fantasies about love.

Once she compromised, Liu Yifei knew clearly that she would be able to obtain better resources and a brighter future.

But only part of him.

This is totally unacceptable.

She would go from being a newly blossomed bud at the age of eighteen to becoming a resentful woman with a long-lasting hatred, and become a self-bound prisoner in the spiritual world.

For a soul that longs for beauty, freedom and independence, it is tantamount to slow death.

(End of this chapter)