newbobooks Chapter 171 Lu Ran, you can't possibly win again this time, can you?
Chapter 171 Lu Ran, you can't possibly win again this time, can you?
The crew of the TV series "Hero" at the Hengdian World Studios.
Shen Zhiwei stared at the last scene on the monitor—the figure of Wuming slowly falling and the complex look in Qin Wang's eyes intertwined in slow motion, the setting sun like blood, dyeing the entire palace red.
"Card!"
He stood up abruptly, and because of the sudden movement, the chair tipped backward with a loud thud.
But he didn't care at all, and just swung his arm forcefully:
"Cut! Cut! Filming wrapped!"
After a moment of silence, the set erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Even as the lead actors were still immersed in a tragic mood, staff rushed up to hug them and take photos of them.
Chen Dao, the award-winning actor who plays the King of Qin, was still wearing his heavy costume. He wiped his sweat and laughed, saying, "Director Shen, you're yelling 'cut' like you're in a battle."
Shen Zhiwei, rarely laughing heartily, walked over and patted him hard on the shoulder: "You've worked hard! This take was excellent, even better than I expected!"
Qi Heming walked over from behind another monitor, holding a storyboard in his hand: "Old Shen, I'm not exaggerating, but this script paired with your cinematic language is absolutely brilliant. I dare say this movie will win at least three awards after its release."
"Whether I win an award or not doesn't matter." Shen Zhiwei said this, but the light in his eyes was unmistakable. "The main thing is this story. Lu Ran really wrote it right to my heart."
He took out his phone and sent a voice message to Lu Ran: "Lu Ran, filming's wrapped! It's showing next Sunday, you absolutely have to sit in the front row! Oh, and Yue Ge has to come too, you two together!"
After sending the voice message, he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask the assistant director, "Is there enough time for post-production? It's going to be released next Sunday, so we only have about a week at most."
"There's enough time," Qi Heming quickly replied. "The rough cut is already done, Lu Ran provided a demo of the music, and the special effects are all live-action with a little CG. Three days should be enough for color grading. I'll oversee it; no problem."
Shen Zhiwei let out a long sigh of relief, looked at the actors taking photos together on set, and said softly:
"Old Qi, I think I've found that feeling again, like when I made my first movie."
"Right, me too. Come on, let's go take a group photo."
...
Starlight Entertainment, Director's Office.
Zhou Zhixiong threw a stack of investigation reports on the table, leaned back in his leather chair, closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, but a smile appeared on his lips.
"So, none of the directors currently working at Xingyao have any plans for martial arts films in the near future?"
"Yes, Mr. Zhou." The assistant stood in front of the table, his tone very certain. "After you mentioned it last time, we have checked the public schedules, film crew registrations, and even privately inquired about their casual conversations at drinking parties for the past month."
"In the past three months, among the seven film and television works that Xingyao has approved, there are three urban romances, two suspenseful detective works, one historical drama, and one sequel to the TV series 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'. There are no martial arts films."
"Even the martial arts TV series 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' hasn't started filming yet."
Zhou Zhixiong slowly opened his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "Are you sure there are no omissions? I remember Xingyao used to have about 20 big directors."
"There are three more..." The assistant flipped through the tablet in his hand. "Director Wang Jianguo semi-retired six years ago and is now supervising graduate students at the Film Academy; Director Li Weimin is in poor health and underwent heart bypass surgery last year, and the doctor advised him to rest; as for Director Shen Zhiwei..."
He paused, looking up at Zhou Zhixiong's expression: "He is indeed still credited as Xingyao, but he hasn't directed a film himself in almost ten years. His last public appearance was at Xingyao's 30th anniversary celebration three years ago, and I haven't heard of any plans for a comeback in filmmaking recently."
Zhou Zhixiong hummed in agreement, then asked, "Are there any other directors planning to make martial arts films recently?"
"There are some," the assistant said, pulling up a file. "For example, Director Qi Heming is indeed filming a period drama in Hengdian recently, but the subject matter is unclear. Our people tried to infiltrate the crew, but security is very tight. All we know is that the investor isn't Xingyao; we heard it's a newly established film and television company."
"Qi Heming?" Zhou Zhixiong frowned. "Didn't he always make historical dramas? Could this movie be one of his historical films?"
"The specific details are unclear, as the investigation only started two days ago. Should we wait for the results?"
Zhou Zhixiong's fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.
Qi Heming is indeed a good director, one of the best in historical dramas. However, if he were to make a martial arts film, although the quality would certainly not be too bad, it would definitely be inferior to the film he has been preparing for so long.
"What has Lu Ran been up to lately?" he suddenly asked his assistant, his voice carrying a wariness he himself was unaware of.
The assistant's expression became somewhat subtle: "He... seems to be starting a business. He rented an entire floor of an office building in the CBD and registered a tech company called 'TuTu Technology.' It seems to be making some kind of software, and they've been recruiting interns at various universities recently."
"Software?" Zhou Zhixiong was stunned. "He doesn't write scripts or songs anymore, he's going to get involved in the internet?"
"I've heard that's true. And he's been rarely going to Xingyao lately, so there's been some gossip within Xingyao saying that this newly appointed executive director is neglecting his duties."
Zhou Zhixiong was stunned. If he had known that Lu Ran had changed careers, why would he have waited an extra month?
He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. It was already cold, and a bitter taste spread across his tongue.
Reason told him that this was an opportunity.
Lu Ran's focus on running a technology company has drawn criticism within Xingyao, and the company has made no moves in the martial arts film sector.
This wave has all the right timing, location, and people.
The advantage lies with me.
He just didn't realize that he still had a well-hidden unease in his heart.
"Mr. Zhou," the assistant asked cautiously, "Should we postpone the release of 'Reign of Assassins'?"
Zhou Zhixiong did not answer immediately, but looked out the window.
The sky over Shanghai is overcast today, and it looks like it's going to rain heavily.
During this season, Shanghai always experiences several days of heavy rain, but soon after the rain, the sun shines brightly.
He recalled the faces at the board meeting, the disappointed look in the old chairman's eyes, and the suffocating feeling that Xingguang had been under the pressure of Xingyao for the past six months.
He knew he couldn't postpone it any longer; if he did, even as the executive director, he wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure.
"It's settled." He withdrew his gaze, his voice filled with a do-or-die determination. "Next Saturday, it will be released nationwide. Increase the publicity by another 30%. I want every subway station, bus stop, and video website splash screen to be filled with posters for 'Reign of Assassins'."
He paused, then added, "Also, hire online trolls to stir up controversy, saying... the real martial arts blockbuster is finally here. This time, I want to prove to the audience which company's work is the best."
The assistant immediately understood: "Understood, I'll arrange it right away."
As they reached the door, the assistant turned back: "By the way, Mr. Zhou, should we investigate Qi Heming's movie further?"
Zhou Zhixiong waved his hand: "What kind of waves can a director who makes historical films and a new studio make? Focus on Xingyao, and keep an eye on Lu Ran's activities there. As for Qi Heming... they'll naturally know what the difference is after 'Reign of Assassins' is released."
The assistant then closed the door and left.
The office returned to silence.
Zhou Zhixiong opened the drawer, took out a box of cigars, cut one open, and lit it.
As the smoke billowed, he exhaled lightly into the air and said:
"Lu Ran, you can't possibly win again this time, can you?"
...