Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: My Childhood Sweetheart is Boss Yang

Inside the meeting room, Principal Ye sat down, his body slightly hunched.

He was in his fifties, with large patches of gray hair and an undisguised weariness in his eyes.

When Gu Heng saw his state, his heart skipped a beat.

He knew the principal had a tough job, but he didn't expect reality to be even harder than what he'd seen in the news.

Before Gu Heng could speak, Principal Ye gave a wry smile and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "Director Gu, I'm sorry you had to see that. To the experts and parents outside, that drill was probably just a pointless exercise."

Before Gu Heng could speak, Yang Mi couldn't help but ask, "Principal Ye, isn't this drill for the children's benefit? How can it be considered a waste of time?"

"Okay?" Principal Ye shook his head, his voice hoarse. "I've been tinkering with this since 05, and the parents' complaint letters have never stopped. They've gone to the Education Bureau, saying that other schools are focusing on college entrance exam pass rates, while our Sangzao Middle School lets the kids run around on the playground every day. They say, if the grades drop, who will be responsible for the children's future?"

He paused for a moment, his eyes slightly red: "Some people even pointed their fingers at me at the school gate and cursed me, saying that I was putting on a show and was desperate for fame."

This is reality.

In this era where college entrance rates are paramount, a principal who doesn't focus on helping students score higher but instead spends his days figuring out how to escape and how to reinforce the foundation is seen by many as neglecting his duties.

Gu Heng fell silent. He recalled that in his previous life, this principal was hailed as the most outstanding principal after the earthquake, but he passed away from overwork just four years later.

They're risking their lives to protect these two thousand children!

Gu Heng didn't waste any words and took out a cigarette from his pocket, offering one to the man.

Principal Ye was stunned for a moment, then took the light, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"Principal Ye, I don't care what others think of me. But in my opinion, what you did was exceptionally virtuous!"

Gu Heng exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone unusually firm, "Grades can be retaken, but what use are grades if you lose your life?"

Upon hearing Gu Heng's words, Principal Ye's hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly. He suddenly raised his head, and the light that burst forth in his eyes was like that of a drowning person grabbing the last piece of driftwood.

"Director Gu...do you really think so?"

"Of course it's true! I came here this time to incorporate your experiences into my film, so that the whole country can see it!"

The old principal was on the verge of tears.

Only he knows how much he has suffered these past few years. Now, the youngest director in China with a film budget exceeding 100 million yuan has personally come to this remote and impoverished place to tell him that he did the right thing. The pent-up resentment in his heart has finally dissipated a lot.

For the next half day, Principal Ye took Gu Heng and Yang Mi on a tour of the school.

Pointing to the steel bars thicker than an arm, Principal Ye explained with a hint of fervor, "Back in the 90s, this building had quite a few cracks, and I led a team to reinforce it bit by bit. When we didn't have the money, I raised funds from all over the place. Over the years, we've invested more than 400,000 yuan."

Four hundred thousand in the 1990s!

Yang Mi listened with her mouth slightly open. Although she had seen accounts worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan with Gu Heng, those were business investments.

This act of raising so much money to reinforce public schools completely shocked her.

At this moment, her understanding of Fang Deng's character seemed to have deepened even further.

That wasn't a staged tragedy, but rather the result of countless people like Principal Ye risking their lives to prevent it.

Gu Heng stayed at Sangzao Middle School for three days.

During those three days, he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he had his team set up equipment and filmed the entire school drill process and the details of Principal Ye reinforcing the teaching building into an educational short film.

Before leaving, Gu Heng gave Principal Ye a private number.

"Principal Ye, if you're short of money for the later reinforcement, just let me know. I, Gu Heng, may not have much else, but I can afford to replace some of the steel bars for the children."

After bidding farewell to the former principal, Gu Heng and his entourage headed straight for Wenchuan.

The car bumped along the rugged mountain road.

At this time, Wenchuan is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, as tranquil as a painting.

The villages along the roadside are built against the mountainside, and the villagers drive their cattle and sheep with simple, honest smiles on their faces.

Gu Heng sat in the car, looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window, but his mood was unusually heavy.

"This location...it's so beautiful." Yang Mi looked out the window and exclaimed, "It would be amazing if it were made into a movie."

"It's beautiful, but I'm afraid it's too fragile," Gu Heng murmured to himself.

Upon arriving in Wenchuan, Chen Kai's team demonstrated their efficiency.

These finance graduates, now dressed in camouflage and covered in dirt, are leading the way through the mountain valley.

"Mr. Gu, as per your request, we have built three large transit warehouses at several key points in this area, under the guise of film crew location scouting and charitable activities."

Chen Kai handed Gu Heng a bottle of water and reported in a low voice, "It's all stockpiled according to the list you gave us. The jacks and other equipment will arrive soon, and the emergency food is on its way."

Gu Heng nodded.

Moreover, the construction teams he brought with him have already begun selecting sites to build schools in the area.

Because Gu Heng's current status is different; he is a national-level director with the backing of China Film Group and the Tangshan Municipal Government.

Moreover, they are willing to invest in philanthropy.

The local authorities lined the streets to welcome him, practically worshipping Gu Heng.

Site selection, approval, and construction proceeded smoothly all the way.

Gu Heng spent a week in Wenchuan, and even went to Beichuan in person.

Looking at the small town that was about to disappear, he called Su Qing again: "Sister Qing, add another 30 million to the budget, and replace it all with construction machinery. Excavators, cranes—just say we have some big scenes to film on location in post-production, so keep them there with maintenance staff. Don't move a single one without my order!"

Su Qing felt that her boss had gone a bit mad this time.

"Okay, whatever you say. But boss, isn't this prop fee a bit too outrageous?"

"Exaggerated?" Gu Heng sneered, looking at the distant, rolling mountains. "You'll see next year whether this is an exaggeration or not."

Su Qing thought Gu Heng was talking about the movie's release next year, so she hung up the phone and went to carry out her boss's orders.

Meanwhile, rumors about Gu Heng "not doing his job properly" began to circulate in the entertainment industry in the capital.

Some people say that Gu Heng was spending too much money on road construction and house building in Sichuan.

Some people sourly remarked that this guy wasn't satisfied with making an art film like "Mr. Tree," so he went to the mountains to pretend to be a philanthropist, probably because he's obsessed with fame and fortune.

Even at a drinking party, Xiao Gangpao once made a careless remark: "Young people, instead of focusing on filmmaking techniques, they're always messing around with these fancy tricks. What good films can be made in the remote mountains of Sichuan? It's a complete waste!"

In recent years, Vision's strong rise has taken away the interests of many people.

The plate is only so big now.

If you get more here, others will get less there.

Many companies don't show their true colors, but they've been doing a lot of dirty work behind the scenes!

Foresight was suddenly thrust into the spotlight.