Chapter 346 Northwest Circle

There was obviously a hint of resentment in Zhang Jiayi's words, and Liu Shishi naturally could not fail to hear it.

"Teacher Zhang!" Sister Yi opened her red lips and called softly, "In the Internet age, things are changing with each passing day.

I think your fans must be looking forward to you opening a Weibo account so that they can share your life and interact with you."

Liu Shishi paused for a moment, a gleam of brilliance flashed in her eyes, and she said in a resounding voice: "Here, on behalf of Mr. Song, I sincerely invite you to join Weibo and experience the charm of online social networking.

I think if you are willing to open a Weibo account, your number of followers will soon surpass mine."

The big sister turned the tables, and Zhang Jiayi suddenly felt uneasy. He debuted for 21 years, and after years of hard work and trials, he finally gained his current status and achievements in the film and television industry.

But now, Internet capital represented by Tengda Group has begun to fully intervene in the film and television industry, forming a casting and production logic that is oriented towards traffic.

This has led to an increasingly impetuous atmosphere in the entire industry, with a gradual lack of emphasis on professional qualities. Whoever has more fans and is more popular can get high pay and more resources.

Even the Magnolia Award, one of the three major awards for TV dramas and the most authoritative and professional, has had to cater to the trend and add such watered-down awards as "Most Attractive" and "Highest Click Rate."

This made Zhang Jiayi angry for a moment, and he deliberately mentioned in front of the wife of the chairman of Tengda Group that he did not have a Weibo account, just to express a small protest.

However, at this moment, Liu Shishi brought up her husband and publicly issued an invitation on the stage where everyone was paying attention, in the name of the richest man. This made him feel caught in a dilemma and very uncomfortable.

After the ceremony, if he didn't open a Weibo account, it would mean he didn't give face to Song Ci and Tengda Group, and the consequences were self-evident. If he honestly opened a Weibo account, Zhang Jiayi couldn't swallow this breath, and he felt upset.

However, as a veteran in the entertainment industry, Zhang Jiayi weighed the pros and cons and did not dare to reject Liu Shishi's invitation in public.

He forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Mr. Liu, for the invitation. After the ceremony, I will open a Weibo account and experience the world of young people."

"Please ask Teacher Zhang to announce the TV series with the highest click rate first." Seeing that his goal was achieved, Zhang Jiayi gave in. Liu Shishi decided to stop while she was ahead, but she sneered in her heart.

Yijie is very clear-headed and knows why Zhang Jiayi does this. It is nothing more than his inability to resist the erosion of traditional film and television industry by Internet capital. But in her opinion, this behavior is nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

An actor dares to act in front of her? No matter how unwilling she is, she has to follow the trend of the times.

Zhang Jiayi suppressed his anger, expressionless, and mechanically read out the list of winners: "The TV series with the highest click rate, "Iron Pear Flower."

Liu Shishi then smiled brightly and announced into the microphone: "The most attractive TV series of the 17th Magnolia Awards is Before the Dawn! Congratulations to both of you."

The two winning directors went on stage to receive their awards with great joy. In this era where business is paramount, the importance of popularity awards is no longer what it used to be.

Investors only care about popularity and returns. As for artistic value? In the eyes of capital, it is just an optional decoration.

After the award ceremony, Zhang Jiayi returned to his seat with an expressionless face.

Jiang Wenli beside him slightly turned sideways and sighed faintly: "Why did you say those words to Liu Shishi on the stage just now? What will happen if you offend her?"

"I asked for trouble!" Zhang Jiayi frowned, feeling somewhat regretful for his impulsiveness.

Internet capital has strongly interfered with the film and television industry, causing these veteran actors to face market difficulties and their living space is getting smaller and smaller.

Young audiences are chasing after glamorous young actors and actresses, but these old actors who make a living by acting seem out of place in an era where traffic is paramount.

It is almost impossible to get a good script or a role with depth. It is true that I should hate her, but there is no need to offend Liu Shishi.

"After the ceremony, you must open a Weibo account!" Jiang Wenli reminded her old friend.

Zhang Jiayi said weakly: "I know."

Seeing Zhang Jiayi like this, Jiang Wenli was afraid that he would get angry and act rashly, so she advised him earnestly:

"You are already in your forties. Why are you fighting with a girl in her twenties? Even if you don't consider yourself, you should think about the brothers and sisters in the Northwest Circle."

"The Northwest Circle! It's just a pile of loose sand. What can we use to compete with the Beijing Circle and the Shanghai Circle?" Zhang Jiayi's expression became more and more bitter. "Yimou and Kaige, two big directors from the Xi'an Film Studio, don't want to take the lead. How can they count on us?"

Xi'an Film Studio is the core incubation base of the Northwest circle. Since the 1980s, Xi'an Film Studio has become the cradle of China's fifth generation of directors, and has cultivated masters such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Wu Tianmin.

"I have news that Director Yimou and Zhang Weipin have completely fallen out and are about to leave New Picture Company."

Jiang Wenli's eyes sparkled. "I intend to invite Director Zhang back to set up a film and television company based on the old team of Xi'an Film Studio. I don't want to be on par with the Beijing and Shanghai circles, but at least I want to have a place in the film and television industry."

The works of the Northwest Circle have always been rooted in the land and focused on reality. They have won numerous awards internationally. The only thing they lack is commercial operation.

However, directors such as Zhang Yimou and Jia Kechang are well-known, and their film projects can still leverage capital and the market.

As long as it is managed properly, it may not be impossible to get a share of the pie in today's prosperous entertainment industry.

Zhang Jiayi was stunned when he heard this, and stared at Jiang Wenli sideways. He didn't expect that this woman was so ambitious that she actually wanted to integrate the Northwest circle and start a new one based on the Xi'an Film Studio.

Jiang Wenli was in high spirits and gave advice: "There are many talented people in the Northwest circle. The directors include my old Gu, Zhang Yimou, and Jia Kechang;

We have you, me and Yan Ni as actors, and Lu Wei, Cheng Zhongshi and other great writers and screenwriters. We are not bad in terms of ability, so why should we rely on others and depend on the Beijing and Shanghai circles for our livelihood?”

Zhang Jiayi was very moved by what Jiang Wenli said. After carefully calculating the family background, he found that the Northwest circle was indeed profound. If they could unite, they might be able to create a film and television giant.

But then he said worriedly: "I support you in principle. Although our production team is not weak, we lack theaters and distribution channels.

It’s OK to do small things, but if you want to integrate the Northwest circle and build a large film and television company to compete with the Beijing and Shanghai circles, without your own theaters and distribution channels, you will eventually be controlled by others.”

Jiang Wenli was confident: "I have already thought about this. We can attract Wanda or Tengda to invest strategically and use external forces to build up the company first. As long as the first few projects can make money, there will naturally be no shortage of investment in the future."

"Wanda is indeed suitable! They have cinemas but weak production capabilities." Zhang Jiayi thought thoughtfully: "As for Tengda, they are the leader in the Beijing circle. Can we rely on Tengda?"

"Don't forget that Ningxia Film Studio was half dead and on the verge of bankruptcy. With the support of Tengda Culture, it was able to turn things around with the movie Painted Skin."

Jiang Wenli's eyes sparkled. "If Ning Film Studio can do it, why can't we do it?"

Jiang Wenli's plan was detailed and well-reasoned, and Zhang Jiayi couldn't help but feel excited. He did have artistic pursuits, but that didn't prevent him from making money.

The lights are bright on the stage.

As the Best Screenwriter and Best Director awards were announced one after another, the award ceremony entered the most exciting part: the Magnolia Award for Best Actress was about to be announced.

Following the host's introduction, award presenters Huang Haibo and Cai Qing took the stage.

After a humorous interaction between the two, the big electronic screen began to play the wonderful performance clips of the five nominated actresses in their respective TV series.

The five nominees, including Chen Shu from "Iron Pear Flower", Deng Cuiwen from "Heroines", Sarina from "My Children, My Family", Liu Shishi from "Go Lala Goes to Work", and Yang Mi from "Palace Lock Heart", were sitting in the audience, unable to hide their inner emotions.

The clip ended quickly and the director divided the camera into five parts, showing the five Best Actress nominees. The five people had different expressions, some excited, some nervous, and some calm.

Huang Haibo made a few witty remarks to liven up the tense atmosphere before the award announcement, and then solemnly opened the list of winners: "...Best Actress winner, Chen Shu, "Iron Pear Flower"!"

The applause from the audience surged like a tide. Chen Shu stood up in surprise, hugged the director, and walked onto the stage.

The new best actress has her hair tied up in a high bun and her white off-shoulder dress is embellished with a black belt, which makes her look very charming.

Chen Shu bent down slightly to take the heavy trophy, and gave an excited acceptance speech with a slight tremor in his voice.

"Before the awards ceremony, I kept reminding myself to stay calm, but when I finally received the Best Actress award, I found myself more excited than I thought.

This is not the first time I have won an award for "Iron Pear Flower", but I care very much about the Magnolia Award because it is more professional, fair and authoritative. . . "

Chen Shu was in high spirits, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and he sincerely thanked the organizers and the jury for their fairness.

Earlier, there were rumors that Liu Shishi had been chosen as the Best Actress of this year's Magnolia Awards, and she had originally given up hope of winning the award.

After all, behind that number one lady is not only a multi-billionaire family, but also the entertainment industry's super giant Tengda Group.

In addition, she is already very popular, and has previously been welcomed as a national treasure internationally. Her influence is unprecedented, so it is understandable that the Best Actress award was given to Liu Shishi.

Not wanting to receive a surprise, the jury resisted the pressure and awarded the Best Actress award to themselves.

Liu Shishi sat in the audience with a normal look on her face. Although she felt a little disappointed after the award was announced, she was generally calm and not sad.

Before attending the ceremony, Cai Yinong had analyzed with her that it was unlikely that she would win the award for the first time being nominated for Best Actress. Besides, she would have an even more popular drama "Scarlet Heart" to compete in the competition next year. If she won the award this year, what would she do next year?

And psychologically, she also hopes that her role as Ruoxi in "Scarlet Heart" will win an award next year. That is the role she put the most effort into and the one she most hopes to be recognized for.

Tong Dawei was afraid that Liu Shishi would be sad, so he carefully comforted her: "Shishi, you are still young. It is already amazing that you have been nominated for the Magnolia Award at the age of 24."

Tong Dawei kept on nagging, and Liu Shishi couldn't listen to him anymore. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Brother Dawei, do you think I look sad?"

Tong Dawei was stunned and looked at Sister Yi carefully. He found that she looked calm and did not look sad at all.

Then he changed his mind and thought that maybe he was overthinking it. Ordinary actors might need to win awards to improve their status and commercial value and pursue artistic achievements, but in front of the tens of billions of assets of the first sister, the gains and losses of an award may be insignificant.

The Best Actress winner was announced, followed by the Best Actor award. Zhang Jiayi impressed the jury with his superb acting in Borrowing a Gun and successfully won the Magnolia Best Actor award.

Zhang Jiayi took the stage again, all the gloom on his face disappeared, and he gave a passionate acceptance speech.

At this time, Liu Shishi's attention was no longer on the award ceremony. She had originally hoped that her mentor Li Xuejian would win the Best Actor Award, but now she just wanted the ceremony to end soon.

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Her husband Song Ci flew from the East China Sea to reunite with her. Nothing could be more worth looking forward to than this.

As night falls, in the bedroom of Donghai Tomson Yipin, the crystal chandelier casts charming light and shadows on the wall.

At this moment, the purple Gucci couture was scattered on the floor, looking a little messy.

The owner of the dress lay lazily at the head of the bed, her silky black hair spread on her husband's chest, the crimson at the corners of her eyes had not yet faded.

Her fingertips unconsciously traced her husband's chest, and she said coquettishly, "Song Yiyi, you were so rude just now. You tore my clothes."

Mr. Richest Man was refreshed: "If they break, just buy a few more."

"Humph!" Liu Shishi pouted, "You are going against a woman's will."

Song Ci's hands started to get naughty again, and he chuckled, "Really? Wasn't someone quite proactive just now?"

Liu Shishi stopped her husband from doing anything wrong and begged for mercy in a tender voice: "Okay, I can't do it anymore. Let me rest for a while. You go take a shower first."

Song Ci hugged his wife and whispered softly, "Let's chat."

"Yeah." Liu Shishi closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm moment between husband and wife.

"I want to hold our wedding after your three-year mourning period is over next year."

Liu Shishi raised her eyes instantly, her originally hazy eyes suddenly brightened like stars, and she looked at her husband with great surprise: "Okay, okay! How about setting the time on New Year's Day? Proposing, getting the marriage certificate and the wedding are all on the same day, how meaningful it is!"

Song Ci looked strange: "Shibao, why did you arrange the wedding on my birthday?"

"Hehe!" Liu Shishi drew circles on her husband's chest with her delicate jade fingers, "This is easy to remember!"

"Okay, it's indeed easy to remember. Celebrate my birthday or any other anniversary together!"

"Honey, where do you think we should hold our wedding?" Liu Shishi was full of longing, "In China or abroad? What type of wedding dress should I choose..."

"Hold it in China, but I don't want a Western-style wedding." Song Ci's eyes were burning as he solemnly vowed, "I want a Chinese-style wedding! Parents' orders, matchmaker's words, three letters and six engagements, eight sedan chairs, phoenix coronas and bridal robes, and ten miles of red makeup."

When Liu Shishi heard this, she was stunned. It took her a long while to come back to her senses. Her eyes were full of love and she said, "I'll listen to you, Mr. Song!"

Song Ci stroked his wife's butterfly bone, and suddenly turned over to trap her in the intersection of light and shadow: "Now we should discuss whether there is a bridal chamber disturbance in Chinese weddings..."

(End of this chapter)