Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

Feng Xiaogang? Zhang Yu's heart skipped a beat. This man is now a top-tier director in China; if he could get his help...

"Tell him to wait a moment, I'll be right there." After saying this to the staff, Deputy Director Li turned to Zhang Yu, "Director Zhang, you can go back and wait for news. I've received the materials, and I'll let you know if there's any progress."

"Thank you, Director Li." Zhang Yu stood up and left the office with Shu Chang.

In the corridor, Feng Xiaogang happened to walk by. He wasn't very tall and was wearing a baseball cap. When he saw Shu Chang, he smiled and said, "Oh, Xiao Shu is here too?"

"Hello, Director Feng!" Shu Chang greeted him politely. "I'm here with Director Zhang Yu on business."

Feng Xiaogang looked at Zhang Yu with curiosity in his eyes: "Zhang Yu? The one who directed 'Autumn'?"

"Hello Director Feng, I'm Zhang Yu." Zhang Yu shook hands politely.

"I've seen 'Autumn Day,' it's well-made," Feng Xiaogang said directly. "It's a good thing that young people have ideas. What's wrong, running into trouble?"

Zhang Yu briefly explained the situation. After listening, Feng Xiaogang snorted, "That kid Wang Zhongjun is getting more and more ambitious, resorting to such tricks. Zhang Yu, how about this, I'll be your guarantor. I'll put in a good word for you with Director Li."

This was truly a godsend. Zhang Yu hadn't expected Feng Xiaogang to be so agreeable: "Director Feng, thank you so much..."

"Don't thank me." Feng Xiaogang waved his hand. "I just can't stand some people bullying others. Young people, focus on making movies and don't let these trivial matters interfere with your work. Alright, I'm going in now, you guys get back to work."

As Feng Xiaogang walked into the office, Zhang Yu and Shu Chang exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's great!" Shu Chang said happily. "With Director Feng's guarantee, the license should be fine."

"Thanks to you." Zhang Yu looked at her. "Shu Chang, thank you so much for today."

"I told you not to be so polite." Shu Chang smiled and shook her head. "Zhang Yu, when your studio grows big, remember to ask me to act in your movies. I don't even need a fee, I just want to work with a good director."

When she said this, her eyes were pure, filled with the purest yearning for acting. Zhang Yu could sense that her star quality had brightened considerably at that moment.

"Definitely." Zhang Yu solemnly promised, "Once the studio is stable, I'll write a special book for you."

"Really?" Shu Chang's eyes lit up. "Then it's a deal!"

"That's a deal."

---

Noon, in the Orange Field Culture conference room.

The midday meeting took place in an office building near the China World Trade Center. The owner of Orange Field Culture, surnamed Chen, was in his fifties, not very tall, but with shrewd eyes. Besides him, there were two vice presidents and a financial director in the meeting room.

"Director Zhang, please have a seat." President Chen was very welcoming. "We've reviewed all the materials, and the project is indeed excellent. But we've invited you here today to confirm a few more questions."

"Please speak, Mr. Chen." Zhang Yu sat down, knowing that this was the real negotiation.

"First, can the licensing issue for 'Scholarly Family' be resolved? If not, our investment is at risk," Mr. Chen asked directly.

“The license is no problem.” Zhang Yu took out his phone and pulled up a photo taken at the Film Bureau earlier, showing Feng Xiaogang shaking hands with Deputy Director Li. “Director Feng Xiaogang is willing to be the guarantor, and Director Li has also given his approval. It should be approved again within three days at the earliest.”

After Mr. Chen and several vice presidents passed the photos around, their expressions relaxed somewhat.

"Secondly," Mr. Chen continued, "your budget for reshoots is 300,000, but from what we understand, it might actually be more. What if we exceed the budget?"

"The studio will cover any overspending," Zhang Yu stated decisively. "We will strictly adhere to the budget for Orange Field's 500,000 yuan. If there are any overspending, we will not request additional funding from your company."

This attitude pleased Mr. Chen. He nodded: "Third, and most importantly—television broadcasting rights. We're offering 500,000 for exclusive television broadcasting rights for a five-year term. Are you sure you agree to these terms?"

“No problem.” Zhang Yu had already thought it through. “But there’s an additional condition—five years from now, if the studio wants to take back the broadcasting rights, Orange Field must transfer them at the original price.”

This is a fair condition. Mr. Chen thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay. The contract is settled then. Xiao Wang, go prepare the formal contract; we'll sign it this afternoon."

Things went more smoothly than expected. After signing the contract, General Manager Chen escorted Zhang Yu to the elevator and suddenly said, "Director Zhang, actually, my decision to invest in you wasn't just based on my belief in the 'Scholarly Family' project."

"What is that?" Zhang Yu asked.

“I have high hopes for you.” Mr. Chen said frankly, “There are many talented directors in this industry, but not many with backbone and principles. You dare to challenge Wang Zhongjun and even dare to open your own studio. Such courage is rare. I think that working with you will be a good long-term investment.”

"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Chen."

"But Director Zhang, let me remind you," President Chen said in a low voice, "Wang Zhongjun is a vindictive man. You blocked his path to wealth this time, and he won't let it go easily. Be careful in the future."

"I know," Zhang Yu nodded. "I'll be careful."

Leaving Orange Field Culture, Zhang Yu stood downstairs at the China World Trade Center and took a deep breath. Beijing's spring air was dry, carrying the city's distinctive dusty smell. Two things were done, but the most difficult remained—the dinner appointment with Wang Jinghua that evening.

Although a joint venture agreement has been signed, the specifics of its operation and resource allocation still need to be discussed in detail. Wang Jinghua, while seemingly easy to talk to, actually has extremely high standards.

My phone rang again. This time it was a text message from Wang Jinghua: "6:30 pm, Kunlun Hotel, Cantonese restaurant. I've arranged to meet two people."

Two people? Zhang Yu frowned. Who could they be?

---

Four o'clock in the afternoon, in the hotel room.

Zhang Yu returned to the hotel, intending to rest for a while, but as soon as he entered his room, he heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he saw Liu Yifei and her mother, Liu Xiaoli.

"Director Zhang!" Liu Yifei was wearing a light pink dress with a white knitted cardigan, her long hair tied in a ponytail, and her smile was as bright as the sun. "My mother and I came to Beijing on business, and we heard you were here, so we came to see you!"

"Yifei, Teacher Liu, please come in." Zhang Yu let them in. "How did you know I was in Beijing?"

“It was Teacher Wang Jinghua who told me,” Liu Xiaoli said with a smile. “She invited Yifei to dinner tonight and said you would be there too.”

It turned out that Liu Yifei was one of the "two people" Wang Jinghua had contacted. Zhang Yu understood—Wang Jinghua was about to officially sign Liu Yifei. With her discerning eye, she must have seen Liu Yifei's enormous potential.

"Yifei's performance in 'The Scholarly Family' was excellent." Zhang Yu poured water for the two of them. "Especially that crying scene, it was very moving."

"It's all thanks to Director Zhang's excellent teaching," Liu Yifei said modestly. "I watched the reshot footage, and Sister Chenchen acted even better. I still have a lot to learn."

This child is so sensible. Zhang Yu looked at her; this thirteen-year-old girl already possessed a maturity and insight far beyond her years. Her starlight mark was special—not worship, but a sense of the sacredness of art and respect for her predecessors.