Chapter 443 The fourth day of the first lunar month is auspicious for marriage.

Seeing that Shen Xuewei was thinking, Gu Ling asked her.

"How about it, do you want me to give you Uncle Xiang's contact information? Putting the plot aside, his ability to direct period dramas is top-notch among directors in China."

However, the director's temperament is too soft, he lacks his own opinions, and he is too easily influenced by others, which is a fatal flaw.

Shen Xuewei thought about it and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"But why weren't his earlier works like that?"

Gu Ling sighed, "When he was filming his previous works, his wife was always with the crew."

"He has a gentle nature, but his wife has a strong one. His wife doesn't know how to direct, but she will unconditionally stand by him. If anyone tries to cause trouble on set, it's his wife who will put them in their place."

"However... his wife got into some trouble a few years ago and went to jail. She hasn't been released yet."

Shen Xuewei realized that the director was missing someone who could unconditionally take the blame for him.

If she wants to collaborate with him, she first needs to find someone who can handle things and has a strong temper.

The key question is, where is she going to find such a person for him?

Looking at the script in her hand, Shen Xuewei's eyes suddenly lit up.

Isn't this a ready-made person?

Two days later, with Gu Ling's help, Shen Xuewei successfully arranged to meet Xiang Guoping.

Xiang Guoping, who is nearly fifty years old, has his hair neatly combed and parted in a straight line.

He had a thin face with slightly prominent cheekbones and wore thin-rimmed glasses.

He arrived at the private room early, and when he saw Shen Xuewei and the others come in, he habitually blinked twice, as if afraid that his direct gaze would offend them.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, and once she had eaten about half her fill, Shen Xuewei revealed her purpose.

Xiang Guoping looked somewhat troubled. "I do have the time, but... my recent directorial works haven't been very successful, so I'm afraid I might not be able to handle it."

Shen Xuewei smiled gently, "Guide, that's easy. You just focus on filming, and our screenwriter will handle everything else."

"You haven't read the script yet, have you? Why don't we take a look at it first? If you think it's acceptable, we can continue our discussion."

After Shen Xuewei finished speaking, Yu Minghua took out the script from his bag and handed it to Xiang Guoping.

Urged on by Gu Ling, Xiang Guoping hesitantly took the script and began to read it.

The people in the private room were all very quiet, waiting for him to finish reading the script.

Time passed slowly, and Xiang Guoping raised his head with a slight brightness in his eyes. When he met the gazes of the others, he couldn't help but shrink back, but quickly returned to normal.

Shen Xuewei looked at him with a smile, "Guide, what do you think of this script?"

Xiang Guoping nodded, "That's good. Plus, with the original author handling the adaptation and the IP advantage, it's a pretty good script on the market right now."

His gaze lingered on Xu Yue in the private room for a moment.

Her presence here basically confirms that she is the designated female lead.

He had heard of Xu Yue before; she currently had a lot of negative publicity, but she also had a fan base.

If this show airs, having such a popular female star in it will save a lot on marketing costs.

However, both he and Xu Yue have poor reputations, so whether they can achieve a synergistic effect of 1+1>2 if they cooperate is a question.

After all, these past few years...

Everyone watched him stand there thinking for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking.

Finally, looking at Shen Xuewei, who was clearly the one in charge, he said:

"If I'm not mistaken, Miss Xu is the female lead cast for this film. I wonder about Miss Xu's temperament..."

Shen Xuewei glanced at Xu Yue and said, "Guide, don't worry about that. Although Xu Yue has been embroiled in negative news, it's all a misunderstanding. Over the years, none of the directors who have worked with her have ever said a bad word about her."

Xu Yue raised her glass to him, saying, "Director, I will do my job as an actress and will not interfere with your work."

"It's quite a coincidence. When I worked with director Yip Wai-shing before, he mentioned you to me. He even recommended me to act in one of your films, but unfortunately, I didn't get the role..."

It wasn't that she didn't get the role; she didn't even get to see the director before the assistant director told her the role had already been cast and she didn't need to wait any longer...

Anyway, Xu Yue can talk a good game now, so she should praise the director more.

Xiang Guoping sensed sincerity from Shen Xuewei and her group, and Gu Ling was also there to mediate.

The pleasant meal concluded, and the cooperation between the two parties was finalized.

As everyone dispersed, Shen Xuewei called out to Yu Minghua.

"This director's camerawork and aesthetic sense are both on point, but he's too easygoing. As for the plot... you'll have to be on set and keep an eye on things. You understand what I mean?"

Yu Minghua was already eager to get started. "Don't worry about that. If anyone dares to cause trouble on set, I'll make them pay."

"However, in our production team, Xu Yue is probably the biggest star. With her leading the way, I believe no one else would dare to overtake her..."

"Anyway, you should keep a close eye on things on set and be on guard."

"Okay, I understand."

Once both parties agreed on the collaboration, they began preparing to select actors.

This production team only had one source of capital: Tide Media. Aside from designating the female lead, they only requested audition opportunities for a few of their junior artists and didn't interfere excessively in the production.

Xiang Guoping felt that this collaboration was much more pleasant than the previous ones.

He tried to cast as many roles as possible with artists from Tide Media... As for those whose performances were really bad and whose acting was cringe-worthy, he carefully explained to the person in charge of Tide Media.

Those who saw how those people performed praised him for doing the right thing.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Guoping breathed a sigh of relief.

The production team is still in the process of being assembled. Xiang Guoping wants to film the show on location, but suitable filming locations are not in one city, so filming will need to take place in multiple locations and is expected to take about five months.

Because the production team had a limited budget and the actors' salaries were not high, all expenses had to be used sparingly.

The crew of "Above the Thorns" is filming intensively. After two and a half months of filming, it is nearing its end and is expected to wrap up in another month.

After another half month of rest and adjustment, Xu Yue will be able to join the cast of "With You".

By then it was December, and several top livestreamers from Chuangying Juli achieved another record in livestreaming sales, with sales more than doubling compared to last year's Double Eleven.

Dairong Cosmetics, which was acquired by Shen Xuewei, has undergone various changes such as innovative packaging, and has also appeared in the live broadcast rooms of various anchors during this Double Eleven, becoming one of the main brands promoted.

From sunscreen to setting powder, to eyebrow pencils and lipsticks, the products achieved sales of 50 million yuan on Singles' Day alone, thanks to the support of several top livestreamers.

Shen Xuewei calculated the costs involved and found that the cosmetics industry was indeed quite profitable.

As we entered mid-December, the game Wasteland Seekers, developed under the leadership of Ji Xingqiao, finally ushered in its public beta.

This is the first game that Fengyu Technology has truly developed since its establishment, and Shen Xuewei attaches great importance to it.

When the first month's revenue figures were released, Shen Xuewei's face broke into a big smile upon seeing the data.

The team members, exhausted yet happy, were filled with excitement as they thought:

Given my boss's generous nature, it seems like I'm guaranteed a year-end bonus this year.

Shen Xuewei was very busy at the end of the year, and this busyness lasted until the 25th of the Lunar New Year.

The fourth day of the first lunar month is considered an auspicious day for marriage, and Shen Xuewen, who was about to turn twenty-eight, finally got married in 2018.