Huayu is here for you

After getting a free meal from Lao Hu, Lin Yu returned to his company, completely satisfied.

This trip to the sugar figurine shop not only resulted in a hefty meal for Lao Hu, but also laid the groundwork for a regret from my past life—a real-life Zhao Ling'er! It was a double win, though I feel a little bad for Lao Hu, the tool in this story.

As Lin Yu had predicted, Liu Yifei was cast as Zhao Ling'er, and this young lady gained another blood potion.

Just as Lin Yu was happily waiting to visit Liu Yi... uh, Lao Hu on set, Han Sanping called to urge him, saying that the crew was almost ready, but why hadn't he seen his script yet?

This left Lin Yu, who had become somewhat complacent, completely dumbfounded!

"Didn't I send them the script?"

Lin Yu, who was somewhat skeptical about this, thought about it carefully and came to the conclusion that... there was none at all!

This embarrassed Lin Yu greatly, so he quickly printed out the script and personally delivered it to China Film Group.

On the way, I also gave those big shots a little scathing criticism: "You guys are really something, how can you be so audacious! You dare to start a production team without even a script? I'll have to give them a good talking to when I get there!"

But by the time he arrived at China Film Studio…

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Han, I was just so busy I didn't even dare to email you. I had to bring it to you personally. Please calm down!"

Seeing Lin Yu laughing like a country dog, Han Sanping also chuckled and scolded him a couple of times.

But Director Lin is so thick-skinned, he acted as if he hadn't heard anything, and even took a box of good tea from Han Sanping before leaving.

The next day…

China Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media Group, Enlight Media, Berna Films, and Lin Yu's Starlight Films simultaneously announced that the epic space science fiction film "The Martian," jointly funded by the five companies and Hollywood's Fox, and produced by Lin Yu with an investment of one hundred million US dollars, has been officially launched. Nationwide auditions will begin one month later.

The news instantly set the entire entertainment industry ablaze! Reporters from major media outlets embarked on a journey to find the latest news on "The Martian".

How come there wasn't a single word about this big-budget film beforehand? This sudden announcement caught everyone in the industry off guard.

However, not everyone was unprepared. The more capable ones knew some inside information, and what they were thinking about now was how to show their faces in front of Lin Yu, in case they were actually selected.

So everyone, whether they had connections or not, was trying to find them, all trying to get an audition opportunity.

But it's different for people outside the industry. To them, who is Lin Yu? He's just a small-time director who made two low-budget comedies. Although he did make them well, he's clearly not qualified to make a movie with such a large investment. It would be more appropriate to replace him with Zhang Yimou.

So... Lin Yu was bombarded with online abuse!

On the same afternoon that several companies issued their statements, various negative posts about Lin Yu appeared online!

"Lin Yu? Sorry! I don't know him!"

"Has he forgotten who he is after making two low-budget films? A hundred million US dollars? Does he even deserve it?"

"Sigh... I've seen Lin Yu's movies, they're alright, but can he really make a movie with a budget of 100 million US dollars? I'm not optimistic about it!"

"I urge China Film Group to replace him! I think Zhang Yimou is suitable."

"How was he selected? Did he get it through connections?"

"Are they trying to embarrass themselves internationally? Did they see how successful Zhang Yimou's 'Hero' was overseas and decided to make their own?"

"Linyu..."

In an instant, Lin Yu, who had just won the title of rising star director, was called a disgrace to the directing world.

Fortunately, the farce didn't last long.

Just when everyone was criticizing Lin Yu, a unique online comment instantly attracted everyone's attention.

"Lin Yu doesn't deserve it? What a joke! His movie was filmed overseas and grossed nearly 300 million US dollars. Let's get straight to the evidence and open our eyes!"

Below this comment were screenshots of various foreign newspapers, magazines, and media reports, especially the words "2.8 million US dollars," which the poster circled in a large red circle.

Everyone who saw this online comment was completely dumbfounded!

His advisor at the Beijing Film Academy called him to confirm the accuracy of the matter. After receiving Lin Yu's confirmation, a banner was hung up at the school the next day. Embarrassed, Lin Yu didn't dare to wander around the college anymore... and went to class.

It wasn't that Lin Yu deliberately withheld the news to show off or embarrass himself. Look, the companies that invested in him already know, don't they? He thought everyone was somewhat aware that he was making movies abroad, but he forgot that this was 03, not some particularly important news. How could it have spread so quickly!

So when he learned that he was being criticized online, he was a little confused because he knew what kind of people these "netizens" were; no matter what he did, he would get criticized.

But he didn't expect so many people to criticize him. So he suppressed his anger and carefully read the criticisms.

After reading it, Lin Yu said nothing, but silently posted a message anonymously online...

Then, China Film Group released another official announcement about "The Martian," which was then forwarded by several major companies. However, rather than an official announcement about "The Martian," it was more like an article praising Lin Yu, which highlighted Lin Yu's achievements abroad, especially the record-breaking box office of 2.8 million yuan, which was written in large, eye-catching red letters by China Film Group.

So the farce was quelled before it even began, and ironically, it gave "The Martian" a boost in publicity. It has to be said, these bigwigs know how to promote themselves.

While the outside world was discussing this, our great director Lin was staying at home preparing for his filming plans.

First, let's talk about the filming location. In Changshi, Gansu Province, China, you can find Mars-like terrain. One area in Changshi is a desolate Gobi desert region where the soil contains hematite, giving it a distinctive red color. Similarly, the surface of Mars is red due to the presence of hematite.

Moreover, China built a Mars base here in its previous life, so it couldn't be more suitable as a filming location.

However, as suitable as it may be, an on-site inspection is still necessary. Taking advantage of the month before the preliminary selection, Lin Yu prepared to personally experience what the Martian scenery on Earth is like.

After a day of preparations, Lin Yu boarded a plane to Gansu Province.