CH 011

TL: Moonlit

Zhou Xishan’s disciple is named Tong Zhao. He has a slender and fair appearance, wearing a pair of clumsy black-framed glasses. He is usually introverted and restrained in character, especially serious and silent during filming. Under his coordination, every department of the crew becomes diligent and rigorous, completely changing the somewhat lazy style of the past.

Ran Xing was not affected by the incident involving Qiao Qingsheng. On the contrary, he became even more immersed in the role, as if he wanted to accomplish something.

— And then he was scolded.

“This character is supposed to have a relaxed and natural temperament, a natural-born personality. The way you are portraying it doesn’t quite fit,” Tong Zhao was not good at scolding people, but his criticisms were straightforward and piercing.

Ran Xing looked towards the side and nodded silently. After that, his performance indeed became much more relaxed.

Lin Hanchuan stood alongside the producer, watching them. In just a few days, the producer had lost a lot of weight. “This young actor has some talent.”

Lin Hanchuan nodded. “He lacks experience, but at least he has some talent.”

Before the filming of «Sword Immortal», which had caused so many troubles, the producer had held his breath and wanted to make up for it by producing a high-quality film. He pumped himself up every day and practically lived on the set.

After observing for a few days, Lin Hanchuan finally felt relieved and entrusted all the work of «Sword Immortal» to the producer. He himself began preparations for the first film of Starlight Entertainment.

Zhou Xishan was confirmed as the director of the film. The cinematographer, action director, editor, and special effects artist were all top-notch professionals in the industry. The only positions still vacant were the assistant director and art director.

These positions were specially reserved for Ye Wenjun.

Ye Wenjun was now in his seventies. During the most desolate period of the domestic film and television industry, he used his extraordinary filming techniques and beautiful colors to tell unique Chinese ghost stories, captivating audiences both domestically and internationally. He was undoubtedly the number one director in China.

As he grew older, Ye Wenjun gradually faded from the audience’s sight. He became a childhood memory for a generation, leaving an indelible mark on an era.

Ye Wenjun was an extremely traditional person, unlike Zhou Xishan, who was unpredictable and unconventional. Lin Hanchuan entrusted someone to deliver a letter on his behalf, respectfully bringing a gift when visiting him.

“Senior Ye,” Lin Hanchuan presented the gift and flattered him mildly, “You are still in good health. You haven’t changed much from what I remember.”

“I’ve grown old and can’t compare to you young people anymore,” Ye Wenjun took a sip of tea and casually glanced at the item in Lin Hanchuan’s hand. His gaze suddenly focused, “Is this…?”

Lin Hanchuan smiled but remained silent.

Ye Wenjun carefully took the scroll and examined it with a magnifying glass. After scrutinizing it for a while, he looked up and said, “The true work of the Poet Immortal exists only in one piece and is currently kept in a museum. Is this a replica?”

“I obtained it from a descendant of the Poet Immortal. I can’t tell if it’s genuine or fake,” Lin Hanchuan replied.

Ye Wenjun furrowed his brow and continued to observe with the magnifying glass. After nearly half an hour, he finally sighed and said, “It exudes a carefree and romantic aura, unique and unconstrained. Even if it’s a replica, it’s still a masterpiece.”

Before Lin Hanchuan could speak, the system couldn’t hold back.

[Host, you haven’t earned any plot points yet, but you’ve already spent 100 points to buy this piece. And this old man actually says it’s fake!] The system indignantly exclaimed, [Quick, tell him! This is Li Bai’s authentic work!]

“That’s truly regrettable,” Lin Hanchuan sighed with no hint of regret. With that, he took a step forward, intending to take back the piece. “I apologize for my shallow knowledge and being deceived. I will take my leave today and not disturb you further, Senior Ye…”

Ye Wenjun instinctively blocked Lin Hanchuan’s hand and awkwardly cleared his throat. “If it’s an authentic work, it’s too precious. I can’t accept it with a straight face.”

“But this replica is also not presentable,” Lin Hanchuan hesitated. “I want to ask Senior Ye to make a comeback, and I’ve only sent a replica as a gift. It’s really not respectful enough.”

Ye Wenjun hesitated for a moment and asked, “What kind of film do you want to make?”

“Many years ago, Senior Ye directed «The Difficulties of the Shu Road», I want to make a similar story,” Lin Hanchuan took back his hand smoothly and slowly said, “I want to create a film that belongs to us.”

Ye Wenjun immediately understood the meaning behind Lin Hanchuan’s words. He looked at Lin Hanchuan with an enigmatic gaze, “Your ambition is too great.”

Many years ago, Ye Wenjun had also contemplated the same thing. He wanted to create a magnificent and romantic mythical world, allowing foreigners to know that although China lagged behind in technology, it possessed a profound heritage and a wealth of legendary stories that were second to none.

Unfortunately, the film «The Difficulties of the Shu Road» directed by him was a box office and critical failure. It not only failed to make an impact internationally but also wasn’t well-received domestically. There won’t be a sequel to «The Difficulties of the Shu Road».

“Mature commercial films require significant investment, have lower profitability, and higher investment risks,” Lin Hanchuan took a few steps and surveyed the room. Everywhere he looked, he saw various awards. He continued, “Every endeavor requires someone to take the first step. Now, I will take the second step.”

Having worked in the industry for decades, Ye Wenjun had received numerous awards, big and small, and achieved enough honors to fill a page. As he grew older, he should have become more peaceful and stable. However, these few words unexpectedly stirred up a bit of his youthful passion.

After circling around for a while, Ye Wenjun sighed and said, “I haven’t directed a film in a long time.”

“That’s perfect. We have another director. You can join as the assistant director and art director,” Lin Hanchuan quickly interjected.

Ye Wenjun: “?”

“You, you went through all this trouble just to invite me as the art director?” After being surprised, Ye Wenjun couldn’t help but chuckle. “Who is the director?”

“The director is Zhou Xishan,” Lin Hanchuan counted off one by one, “Li Feiran is the cinematographer, Mr. Shan Qing is the action director, Mr. Zhao Sanlong is the editor, and we have domestic company Yue Xia Mei and foreign company Feilong Special Effects for the special effects team.”

With each name mentioned, Ye Wenjun’s eyes widened. After hearing all of them, he stared at Lin Hanchuan as if he were looking at a monster. “How did you manage to get these people?”

Ordinary people might be swayed by money, but those who work in the entertainment industry, to a greater or lesser extent, have an artistic heart. Especially those who have already become top figures in the industry are notoriously difficult to invite. Even if it were the CEO of Yanshi Film Industry, Yan Minghui, it would be challenging to gather all these people.

“Perhaps it’s because my sincerity moved these respected seniors,” Lin Hanchuan modestly said. Everyone has their weaknesses, and as long as he catered to their preferences, he could gain the upper hand.

Is this person someone you can invite with just sincerity? Ye Wenjun paced around with his hands behind his back. He had to admit that he was intrigued.

“I’ll consider it,” in the end, Ye Wenjun didn’t give a definite answer, only saying.

Lin Hanchuan didn’t rush for an answer either. Following Ye Wenjun’s words, he took his leave. As he walked away, the system pestered him in his mind, [Host, you haven’t claimed your 100 points! Hurry back and claim them. You can convert them into plot points!]

[“No need,”] Lin Hanchuan turned around and looked at Ye Wenjun’s room.

[“This person has already rejected you, and you’re not taking the gift back? Those are 100 points!”] The system grumbled, [“You now have a negative balance of 100 points. If you die, I won’t be able to revive you.”]

[“He will agree,”] Lin Hanchuan disregarded the second half of the system’s statement and smiled faintly. [“I’ve already won while he hesitates.”]

After all, System 001 was just a system and didn’t quite understand human emotions and worldly matters. It only knew how to worry about the enormous sum of 100 plot points.

As expected, one week later, Ye Wenjun agreed to come out of retirement. The only condition was that he could forgo his remuneration and keep that ‘replica’ of the poetic immortal.

With the core members of the film gathered, they still needed to build sets, select actors, prepare various props, and polish the script. Lin Hanchuan personally took charge and secured several investments.

Just as everything was on track, Yanshi Films made a move.

To save on remuneration and promote their own actors, Yanshi Films poached a significant number of the company’s actors. Furthermore, the investments that Lin Hanchuan had arranged encountered one problem after another.

“What should we do?” The film’s core team gathered in the meeting room of Starlight Entertainment, each wearing a gloomy expression.

Sitting at the head of the table, Lin Hanchuan looked around. Many of the people who had been poached by Yanshi Films were gone, and those who remained were the backbone that money couldn’t lure away. He said, “I can personally invest 100 million yuan.”

After arriving in this world, Lin Hanchuan established and managed Starlight Entertainment as his main business. He also engaged in stock trading and investments on the side, which had earned him a considerable amount of money. He didn’t possess the keenness for film and television art that Yan Weilou had, but he had an investment level and understanding of various industries that Yan Weilou couldn’t match. In just over a year, he had earned several hundred million yuan.

However, when «Sword Immortal» faced the withdrawal of investment, Lin Hanchuan invested a few billion yuan of his own. Apart from the fixed assets of the company, his personal liquid funds amounted to only one billion yuan.

“I can sell some stocks and houses to gather another billion,” Lin Hanchuan continued.

Two billion in total… Everyone looked at each other. It might be enough to make other films, but for a big-budget special effects film, two billion is simply not enough.

In the heavy atmosphere, Ye Wenjun spoke up, “I have some funds that I can invest, around 50 million yuan.”

“Since Old Ye has spoken, I’ll also invest 50 million,” Zhou Xishan followed suit.

The others looked at each other. They were all top figures in the industry, and their decision to join this film was more based on their confidence in the script and the team, as they wanted to create a miracle with their own hands.

“I’ll invest 10 million.”

“I’ll invest 5 million!”

“In that case, I’ll invest 7 million.”

“Thank you, seniors,” a warm feeling welled up in Lin Hanchuan’s heart. He didn’t refuse everyone’s goodwill and said, “Your investments will be proportionally shared from the box office.”

He accepted their kindness and was willing to reciprocate. This was also the reason why Lin Hanchuan had been successful in the business world for so many years. Human hearts are hard to predict, but self-interest is eternal.

Under the covert suppression of Yanshi Films, there were always people within the industry who hindered Starlight Entertainment. Both the preparations for other films and the production of «Sword Immortal» became exceptionally difficult. Starlight Entertainment had shallow reserves and could only barely cope. The company was already experiencing unrest, and the atmosphere had become somewhat tense.

At this time, «Jiuge» began airing, followed closely by the accelerated production and release of «Sword Immortal».

Even before their release, audiences were discussing these two dramas.

“«Jiuge» and «Sword Immortal» are both ancient fantasy dramas, and the actors are popular new faces. One is produced by Yanshi Film Industry, while the other is from an unknown small company. Which drama do people prefer?”

“Thanks for the invitation. I’m more optimistic about «Jiuge». The dramas produced by Yanshi Film Industry are guaranteed. «Jiuge» is an adaptation of a popular IP and has a fan base from the original work. As for «Sword Immortal», it’s produced by a small company, and who knows if the story will be any good.”

“Well, Qiu Hongguang looks like an immortal at first glance, aloof and proud. Ran Xing would be suitable to play a devilish character, but playing an immortal is a bit too much.”

“Well, Qiu Hongguang looks petty, while Ran Xing is handsome and unique. He’s much more suitable than some other people.”

“Let’s have a proper discussion. Don’t fight, fans and anti-fans. I prefer «Jiuge». The original work truly moved me to tears. This tragic and deep love story appeals to both young and old, with a broader audience range.”

“No matter how certain people pretend, their appearance can’t compare to our Qiu Qiu’s natural charm. The audience has eyes.”

“I’m a fan of Ran Xing. He really doesn’t suit the noble and ethereal character of an immortal. He’s more suited to play a paranoid and sinister role or a character who is both good and evil. Wouldn’t that be great?”

While Ran Xing’s fans were being suppressed by Qiu Hongguang’s fans, the two dramas aired on different satellite TV stations with just one day apart.