Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 68 Sloppy for Three Years

Jiang Wen didn't go home that night either; she slept at the horse farm and even took over Chen Shou's bed, forcing him to spend the night on the sofa.

The next morning, Jiang Wen had breakfast with Yu Qian at his house, then hurriedly left, taking the script with her.

Chen Shouzhe didn't go to Xiaoxiaomeng. Instead, he went to Shouzhe Pictures and told Tao Le about the situation. He asked Tao Le to contact Jiang Wen. The investment in Bullet was less than that in Kung Fu, mainly in terms of actor salaries.

We need three Best Actor winners. Although Chen Shouzhe doesn't like Zhou Juanjuan, he can't deny that Zhou has acting skills. Even though he couldn't make it abroad and returned to China to continue making a living with the image of the God of Gamblers, he still has the ability to do so.

The specifics will be handled by Jiang Wen; the company just needs to negotiate the investment with him.

Upon hearing that Chen Shou was planning to start another project, Tao Le began to calculate the company's financial situation again, wondering if they could come up with 60 million.

The presence of a head steward can save a lot of problems and help him manage the issues from top to bottom in the company.

Without management skills, it would be impossible to earn such a high salary.

Chen Shouzhe was basically working on the post-production of Xiaoxiaomeng's film. The National Day holiday had just passed, and the film market was still fiercely competitive. Since Chen Shouzhe didn't have any films being released, he naturally didn't need to worry about that.

The filming of "Journey to the West" is almost complete. It started at the beginning of the year and has been filming for eight months. It is expected to be released next summer.

"Kung Fu Hustle" was released in December, and "The Day After Tomorrow" was also released in December. However, it is estimated that it will not be approved for release in China until next year.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his film "The Martian" should be released during next year's summer season, and Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly" will start filming next year, expected in the second half of next year. So, it's already scheduled for next year. Chen Shou is not in a hurry at all. He still needs to polish it up. After all, his company has just started and needs time to settle down.

"Director Chen, here are your invitations." Tao Le came to Xiaoxiaomeng Company and handed some invitations to Chen Shouzhe.

Chen Shouzhe often receives these invitations, some for awards, some for private events, and some for movie premieres, etc.

Whether he goes or not is one thing, but people will still send him the message. After all, he has a certain status, and no one can ignore Director Chen Shou.

"I don't have time to attend any parties right now, let's cancel them all," Chen Shou said.

“Director Chen, I think you should relax a bit. You’ve been too tense lately. Go out and take a walk, or chat with people in the industry.” Tao Le said, seeing Chen Shouzhe’s unkempt appearance, which was completely different from the Chen Shouzhe she had known three years ago.

He admired Chen Shouzhe's passion for film, but he felt that Chen Shouzhe should interact more with the outside world. A person who doesn't fit in will gradually be abandoned.

If someone invites you today and you don't come, they won't invite you again tomorrow. And when you need to invite someone, you'll see if they'll give you face.

"In this industry, it's all about reciprocity. Everyone supports each other, elevating each other's status and reaping more benefits. Even the best wine needs advertising. Director Chen, you should go out and explore more when you have time," Tao Le patiently advised.

"Okay, you pick one for me," Chen Shouzhe nodded.

"This one will do, and we can grab a bite to eat while we're at it." Tao Le pulled one of the invitations out of a pile.

"This? That meal must cost quite a bit."

"This money was well spent."

"Okay, I'll attend."

"You'd better get some work done. You're only twenty-five, but you look like you're in your forties or fifties."

Tao Le was at a loss for words when he saw Chen Shouzhe's expression.

Chen Shou smiled and drove back to the horse farm after get off work. He passed a barbershop and went inside.

An hour later, Chen Shou came out cursing.

"Damn, that's so expensive. These days, barbershops are ripping people off. What kind of managers and directors are they? It's more intimidating than the entertainment industry."

Chen stood at the door, hesitating whether to call and report it. The pricing was too opaque. He would never go into a barbershop that didn't have a price list posted on the door again. Those weren't scissors; they were practically cleavers.

Looking at his short hair and clean-shaven face, Chen Shou took a deep breath. He really looked like a different person, and he had even washed his face.

"Handsome, are you free?"

Chen Shou took out a cigarette from his pocket and put one in his mouth when a girl suddenly appeared next to him and spoke up.

"Want a smoke?" Chen Shou offered a cigarette to the stylishly dressed girl in front of him. The girl was startled by the cigarette being offered to her and was clearly taken aback for a moment.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," the girl said, snapping out of her daze and carefully examining Chen Shou.

Chen Shouzhe, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and short hair, looked like he'd just been released from a labor camp. He had a roguish charm, his eyes seemed indifferent to everything, and his demeanor was a mix of artistic flair and江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), along with a strange sense of self-confidence that far exceeded his appearance. "Want a smoke?" Chen Shouzhe asked again.

"I don't smoke," the girl said, waving her hand.

"It's good that you don't smoke. Smoking is bad." Chen Shou put the cigarette away, took a puff himself, and walked towards the car next to him.

"Handsome, can I have your contact information?" the girl asked as she caught up with him.

“You’re a good girl. I shouldn’t be dating a man like me. I should find someone more reliable.” Chen Shou opened the car door to signal her.

The girl watched Chen Shou get into the car, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. Suddenly, she had a thought: she wanted to be cheated on. This kind of scumbag made her want to throw herself at him.

Sometimes feelings are just so strange. You might chase after a goddess your whole life and never win her over, but you might fall in love with a stranger at first sight on the street.

Chen Shouzhe believes he would find it difficult to fall in love with a woman; at least for now, he only loves his machines and has no interest in doing anything else.

I went to check out the house; it's almost finished. I should be able to move in next month, and then we can start cooking.

Then they drove back to the horse farm. When Chen Shou got out of the car, two passing employees were stunned.

If they weren't certain that the car belonged to Chen Shou, they would have thought they were seeing things, and one of them called out uncertainly.

"Chen... is guarding?!"

"What's wrong? Why are you all making that face? Haven't you ever seen a handsome guy before?" Chen Shou said irritably.

"Are you possessed?" asked a horse farm employee who had known Chen Shou for many years.

"Go away, it's just a haircut, what's the big deal?"

"Holy crap, what the hell? I never thought you were good-looking before, but now you look like you've been through a labor camp."

"You're the one who just got out of labor camp."

They all watched him grow up, so why does Chen Shouzhe like to go back to the horse farm?

No one jokes with him like that outside; they all call him Director Chen. Even after he went to Deyun Society, things changed. They no longer treated him with the same intimacy as before; they all called him Senior Brother. They admired and respected him, just like they would their master.

Only at the horse farm, the attitude of the master and mistress, as well as the long-time employees, towards Chen Shouzhe remained unchanged. They were not involved in the entertainment industry and were used to seeing celebrities come to the horse farm. They were immune to celebrities and had no so-called filters. They were all human beings who needed to eat and go to the toilet.

So no matter how well Chen Shouzhe fared outside, in their eyes, he was still that little kid who raised dogs with them.

When Chen Shouzhe stepped into the Yu family home, everyone looked towards the door. They knew Chen Shouzhe had returned, but they were still shocked by his new look.

"Wow!" The teacher's wife exclaimed dramatically, her eyes wide as she held the child.

"Hehe, isn't it pretty?" Chen Shou scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"Looks great! That's how it should be! So handsome!" the teacher's wife said, giving a thumbs up.

“That’s more like it. Looking at him all the time with his hair down and beard all over his head, it’s not proper.” Yu Qian glanced at him and nodded.

"Yeah, you're going to a party in a couple of days, don't look too sloppy," Chen Shou said.

"What kind of party is it? Do you want to bring a female companion? Oh, by the way, I have a distant cousin who just graduated from university. I think she's quite nice. Do you want me to introduce you to her?" The teacher's wife's curiosity was piqued again, and she wanted to introduce Chen Shou to someone else.

Chen Shou was both amused and exasperated, and Yu Lao Er was also crying, when a sour, foul smell wafted over.

"He pooped again, I'll go change his diaper." The teacher's wife carried the baby in, and Chen Shou and Yu Qian sat and chatted for a while.

"I heard your company has a new project?"

"Master, how did you know?"

"I heard it from outside."

"Almost, we should have news in a few days."

(End of this chapter)