The filming permit needed to be approved, so Fang Yang handed over the two scripts that needed to be reviewed by the Central Military Commission to Zhou Haijun to handle. He then went to West Lake with Zhou Kai and Chen Chen. There were eight main actors for "Operation Red Sea". In addition to Zhang Ze, who had already been selected, seven more people needed to be chosen. The others could be chosen from the company at will, and the requirements were not very high.

As for the pirate leader, the company has so many veteran actors; they can easily pull a few out to play the role. Don't underestimate these veteran actors; any one of them is a seasoned veteran, and playing a pirate won't be a big problem for them. Some of the actors will also be assigned to Jinghua Film and Television. As a partner, some actors there also need to take advantage of this opportunity to appear in the movie and maintain a moderate level of exposure.

After arriving at West Lake, Fang Yang first took the time to visit Ouyang Ming to wish him a Happy New Year. Fang Yang wasn't in Shanghai during the New Year, and Ouyang Ming also went to work early, so the two of them missed each other. Although they had already exchanged New Year's greetings by phone, Ouyang Ming had also helped Fang Yang a lot, so visiting him in person was also essential.

The municipal government compound was not easy to enter. When Fang Yang arrived, Ouyang Ming's secretary, Tian Xiaoyun, was already waiting at the gate. As soon as Fang Yang's car arrived, she immediately directed the gatekeeper to raise the barrier. Fang Yang drove Tian Xiaoyun to an empty space and parked. He took a box of tea and two cartons of cigarettes from the trunk before following Tian Xiaoyun upstairs.

It was clear that Tian Xiaoyun held a high position in the city government building. People she encountered along the way greeted her, and even those waiting for the elevator held it down so that Tian Xiaoyun could go first, while the others waited for the next one.

"Secretary Tian is highly respected in the city government!"

Fang Yang knew nothing about the ranks of these government officials, and looking at Tian Xiaoyun, he couldn't help but sigh.

Tian Xiaoyun pressed the elevator button and waited for Fang Yang to stand still before pressing the floor number. "I'm just a servant of the Party Secretary. Their respect for me isn't because of me, but because of the Party Secretary. In other words, they respect the Party Secretary, and I'm just a medium."

"Secretary Tian is too modest. I believe Secretary Tian has a bright future ahead of him."

After the elevator doors opened, Fang Yang gave Secretary Tian an evaluation at the opportune moment. The person in front of him looked to be in his early thirties, but he was meticulous, organized, neither arrogant nor humble, and had a very good grasp of the situation. He would definitely be able to thrive in the officialdom and, given an opportunity, would rise to the top.

"Mr. Fang, you flatter me. I'm just appreciated by the leadership. I'm only doing my job. The one who's really working hard is the leadership. They don't even have time to rest."

After exiting the elevator and walking a few steps, they arrived at Ouyang Ming's office. Tian Xiaoyun knocked on the door first, and only after receiving permission did she extend her hand to invite Fang Yang in. As soon as Fang Yang entered, he heard Ouyang Ming greet him with a hearty laugh, "President Fang, I was just saying I'd have a drink with you during the New Year. I didn't expect you, such a busy man, to have gone to Beijing and even sang two songs on the Spring Festival Gala. Your fame has grown considerably. So, what are your thoughts?"

Fang Yang placed the cigarettes and tea on the table, shook hands with Ouyang Ming, and said, "No matter how famous I am, I'm still just an ordinary citizen under your jurisdiction, Secretary Ouyang. What's there to be sentimental about? It's just my job. I'm here today to wish Secretary Ouyang a belated Happy New Year. I hope Secretary Ouyang won't blame me?"

Ouyang Ming laughed and said, "I'm very happy that you came. How could I blame you? Bringing gifts when you come to visit is not like your style, Mr. Fang!"

Fang Yang took the bag and said, "When I came to the capital this time, I brought you two ounces of good tea and two cartons of cigarettes for internal use. I know you like these, but I'm not trying to bribe you."

Ouyang Ming wasn't particularly interested in other things, but he was quite interested in tea and cigarettes. "Let me see," he said, "anything that Mr. Fang could bring out must be something special."

Tian Xiaoyun had just finished brewing a cup of tea and handed it to Fang Yang. After curiously glancing at the tea leaves in Ouyang Ming's hand, she left the office. Ouyang Ming had smoked quite a few cigarettes supplied by the government, so he just glanced at them and put them aside. But he examined that small can of tea for a long time. "Is this specially supplied pre-rain well tea?"

It smells somewhat similar, but I haven't drunk it and I don't quite understand Ouyang Ming's opinion. There's no label either, so I really can't make a definitive judgment.

"It has to be Secretary Ouyang, your knowledge is so broad, you saw it at a glance."

Fang Yang confirmed Ouyang Ming's judgment, "I didn't get much on this trip to Beijing. I gave half to you, Secretary Ouyang. I hope you won't mind."

Ouyang Ming locked the bookcase like a precious treasure. "These are really good things. There aren't many available on the market to begin with. It's already quite an achievement for you, Fang Yang, to get so many. How could you possibly look down on them? Let's have lunch here. It's been a long time since we've eaten together. You gave Lao Zhou a huge surprise before the New Year. Lao Zhou has been wanting to treat you to a meal for a long time."

Thinking of Zhou Hongguang, Fang Yang chuckled, "It seems he didn't contribute much tax revenue before the Lunar New Year. If we calculate up to December, only Zheng Xiuli's album could contribute a little, less than 100 million yuan, which is just a drop in the bucket for the entire Xihu City."

"That's not how it works. A month may not seem like much, but it's just the beginning. There's a long road ahead, and it will add up to a lot. Besides, your company hasn't even opened yet, so this will contribute a significant amount of tax revenue, which will be a great help to Zhou Hongguang. It also helped him a lot with the resettlement of the first batch of veterans. These are all achievements. Don't underestimate these individual contributions; they add up to a lot."

Fang Yang hadn't thought of these things. He was completely clueless about government affairs, though he knew a little bit about them. "As long as it helps Mayor Zhou, I have no problem with it. This year's actions will be bigger, which should be helpful to Mayor Zhou."

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