Chapter 53 Chapter 53

Wen Yue didn't expect this to go so smoothly.

He had prepared for this for a long time, and this was the most difficult part.

He had even prepared for failure.

Yet, as soon as he invited the people over today, this most difficult part unexpectedly succeeded?!

Wen Yue subconsciously looked at Gu Xing Shi, who was talking to the head of a studio. He didn't know what the other party said, but Gu Xing Shi couldn't help but laugh, his eyes curving into crescents, his gaze bright and full of infectious energy.

It made his heart unconsciously relax, and his facial expression softened considerably.

Although they hadn't met many times, every time he encountered Gu Xing Shi, it seemed like good things happened.

Sun Hongfei, who had been secretly observing from the side, anxiously slapped his thigh. "Director Wen, what's the use of just watching! Go on! Get Director Gu's attention back!"

As if his thoughts had taken effect, Wen Yue stepped forward and extended his hand towards Gu Xing Shi. "Director Gu, long time no see."

Gu Xing Shi was a little surprised, but still reached out his hand.

Wen Yue's palm was large and slightly warm. His temperature, like the man himself, carried a sense of aggression.

Gu Xing Shi withdrew his hand quickly, a little uncomfortably.

Wen Yue was somewhat surprised.

Judging from Gu Xing Shi's appearance, he looked like a pampered young master, yet his palm had many calluses.

This aroused his curiosity about what kind of life Gu Xing Shi had lived before.

Gu Xing Shi finished his greetings and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute."

Wen Yue subconsciously called out to him.

Gu Xing Shi turned his head questioningly. "Director Wen, is there anything else?"

Wen Yue paused, then said, "I wanted to ask when you're moving the company. Do you… have any desired housewarming gifts?"

Gu Xing Shi was pleasantly surprised.

Being able to rent the office building at such a favorable price was already a pleasant surprise, and now he was getting a gift too.

Director Wen is quite nice!

He immediately flashed a big smile. "Thank you! Receiving gifts makes me happy!"

His attitude was so frank, completely unconcerned about the weight of Wen Yue's promise.

Just like when he persuaded Feng Tingyun.

His eyes were clear, seemingly transparent, yet also seemed to conceal many secrets, his entire person full of contradictions and mystery.

Wen Yue suppressed the thoughts in his heart and nodded. "Okay, I won't disappoint you."

It was a simple sentence, but somehow it sounded like a promise from him.

Gu Xing Shi scratched his head.

Thinking of the gossip he'd just heard from the system, he took a few steps closer to Wen Yue. However, Wen Yue was too tall, so he had to tiptoe and whisper in his ear, "Among the people who came with you this time, there's a spy sent by another company, it's…"

As he approached, Wen Yue's nostrils were once again filled with the faint scent of oranges, light yet with a strong presence.

Gu Xing Shi stepped back after speaking, but seeing Wen Yue's expression unchanged, he couldn't help but ask, "Director Wen, did you hear what I just said?"

Wen Yue's breathing slowed, as if lingering on the aftertaste of the orange fragrance, but his expression remained as usual. "I know."

Then, as if noticing his response was too cold, he added an explanation. "I deliberately let him in; keeping him around will be useful."

Gu Xing Shi understood.

He figured Wen Yue couldn't be that careless.

Since Wen Yue had a plan, he felt relieved.

Seeing him relax, Wen Yue was also startled.

He hadn't expected Gu Xing Shi to be worried about him, which softened his heart, and he softly said, "No matter what, thank you."

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Gu Xing Shi replied with a smile.

After all, it was for his own benefit too. If something happened to Wen Yue, where would he rent such a high-quality and cheap office building!

No one else heard their conversation, but their actions didn't escape Sun Hongfei, who had been paying attention.

Old Sun watched with a full-faced aunt smile.

Tang Ling, who had just come to get some documents, was stunned. He then saw Gu Xing Shi tiptoeing to whisper something in Wen Yue's ear.

His expression immediately changed.

Director Wen didn't even dodge?!

No… when did their relationship become so close?!

He looked at Sun Hongfei, who was smiling radiantly, and then at the thoughtful investment manager.

He had only been gone for ten or twenty minutes!

It felt like he'd missed a century!

-

As soon as Gu Xing Shi left the building, Sun Hongfei breathlessly caught up. "Director Gu, Director Gu, wait for me."

He had come to see Gu Xing Shi today for a cooperation project, but after working hard for half a day, he hadn't even mentioned the main topic yet.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Gu Xing Shi was incredibly surprised. "Talk to me about a project? But I'm just a manager!"

Sun Hongfei said meaningfully, "Could you possibly be a manager for the rest of your life?"

Today's series of events made him see clearly.

Director Wen clearly laid out a grand plan, tackling both career and love!

No wonder Director Wen never worried about those women outside.

What's Qin Wen? And Sheng Yueqing? No matter how hard they try, they're only helping Director Gu earn some money.

Unlike their Director Wen, who directly moved the entire film and television center to Director Gu's doorstep.

This scale! This determination!

Who could compare!

Gu Xing Shi didn't hear the meaning in Sun Hongfei's words, but Sun Hongfei's words did give him a wake-up call.

Now that he had decided to be the support for his artists, he couldn't continue with his previous carefree attitude.

After all, the higher you go, the more abundant the resources, but the more restrictions there will be.

Without a background, without the right to speak, it's easy to become a pawn of capital.

His four artists were talented but also had personalities. Gu Xing Shi didn't want them to have their wings clipped, nor did he want them to change their personalities for the sake of so-called rules.

Gu Xing Shi had told them that he would protect them.

These words were never empty promises. Since he was going to protect them, he definitely had to have the strength to do so.

Although his connections and resources seemed good now, Gu Xing Shi knew this was far from enough.

Sun Hongfei's suggestion gave him a good direction.

Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate anymore and nodded. "You're right."

So the two hit it off immediately and found a nearby cafe to discuss in detail.

Sun Hongfei's plan was for a web drama project.

Compared to TV dramas and movies, web dramas have more diverse themes and are more flexible in production. The investment doesn't need to be too extravagant, making it suitable as a first trial project.

Sun Hongfei took out the project proposal. "This is a costume light comedy…"

As soon as Gu Xing Shi received the proposal, the system couldn't help but pop up: 【Host! What you're holding is a big piece of gossip!】

Gu Xing Shi: 【…】

System: 【Host, you're not surprised by gossip anymore?】

Gu Xing Shi: 【It's not that I'm not surprised, it's just that I'm used to it. In this entertainment industry, the day I don't encounter any gossip will be more surprising!】

System: 【…You make a valid point. I can't refute that.】

After the sigh, the system immediately reverted to its gossipy nature. 【It's like this, do you remember Ning Tianyou?】

Gu Xing Shi was momentarily confused.

Too many enemies; he needed to think for a while to remember names.

The system could only remind him: 【The CEO of Xingmao Media, Ning Wen Zhuo's uncle, the one who got arrested for… you know… with twins…】

Gu Xing Shi: 【Oh, I remember!】

System: 【…】

【He was framed by Wen Yue before and had a bad fall, harboring resentment towards Wen Yue and wanting revenge. But Wen Yue is cautious, so he hasn't had a chance. Until Sun Hongfei took over this project, giving him an opening.】

【This project looks fine on the surface, but the script is actually plagiarized. The original script is in their hands. This is a trap they deliberately set. They've already made a backup of the original script and started filming. Because the filing procedures for web dramas and TV dramas are different, the filing process, review mechanism, and required materials are also different. Unless you deliberately check, you won't find any problem.】

At this point, Gu Xing Shi could guess the subsequent development. 【When it's finished, they'll use a time difference to broadcast it a day or two earlier. When two identical scripts come out, it will certainly cause舆论 problems. They will then divert the topic to plagiarism, and this web drama will be taken down. Because of the plagiarism, even his backing company, Sweet Orange Video, and even Wen's Group will be affected.】

System: 【Isn't that right? Ning Tianyou has already found allies, waiting for the incident to happen, so he can get back at Wen Yue!】

Gu Xing Shi frowned involuntarily, looking at Sun Hongfei, who was full of expectation.

Seeing his expression, Sun Hongfei quickly asked, "Director Gu, do you think something's wrong?"

Gu Xing Shi: "Do we have to make this drama?"

Sun Hongfei thought he was dissatisfied with the costume light comedy genre, so he explained, "Costume light comedies are very popular in web dramas, and audiences love them. As long as it's not too bad, it's relatively easy to recoup the cost."

Seeing this, Gu Xing Shi could only ask, "How did you find this project?"

Sun Hongfei said matter-of-factly, "A friend introduced it. Many people were vying for it, and I finally got it!"

Gu Xing Shi: "Don't you think this is too coincidental?"

Sun Hongfei only then realized, and cold sweat immediately broke out. "Director Gu, do you mean someone set me up?!"

Gu Xing Shi couldn't help but say, "I suggest you check it carefully." Casually adding, "I remember Xingmao Media is very good at making costume light comedies. Since the project is so good, why didn't they consider Xingmao Media and instead came to you?"

Sun Hongfei didn't want to believe that his friend would betray him, but his reason told him that Gu Xing Shi never spoke without reason. Almost everything he said before had come true.

And Gu Xing Shi was right. In this industry, these large companies have strong connections, and many good scripts are obtained by them as soon as they are written. The ones that are released are usually ordinary scripts.

This script is obviously good, so how could the big companies not recognize its value, and how did it coincidentally end up in his hands?

Thinking of this, he was furious. "Director Gu, don't worry, I'll check it now. If that guy dares to deceive me, I'll kill him!"

Gu Xing Shi stopped him. "Just find out the truth; there's no need to alarm him."

After all, there's a mastermind behind this person. If Ning Tianyou knows that they've been discovered, he might come up with new methods of framing, even with the system, it's still troublesome.

Gu Xing Shi wanted to do this project well, but he didn't have time to waste on such things.

Sun Hongfei naturally agreed, then rushed off to investigate.

Gu Xing Shi didn't focus on this matter, but proactively considered what to do with the project.

After all, even after resolving the framing, a new drama still needs to be made.

But after looking at several project proposals, regardless of the story, the gossip behind them was quite exciting.

He couldn't help but complain to the system: 【If their screenwriting ability were half as exciting as these pieces of gossip, they wouldn't have been rejected so early.】

While Gu Xing Shi was being tormented by these project proposals, Sun Hongfei finally found a clue.

If it weren't for Gu Xing Shi's reminder, he probably wouldn't have thought that his friend had been bought off by Xingmao Media and deliberately set a trap for him.

Thinking of this, Sun Hongfei was scared into a cold sweat.

He couldn't help but be thankful that Director Gu keenly spotted the problem, otherwise, the trouble would have been huge.

If it weren't for Gu Xing Shi's sharp eyes, not only would the drama be cancelled, but it would also affect Director Wen's film and television center's plan. The losses would be immeasurable; even if he resigned in disgrace, he wouldn't be able to make up for it.

Sun Hongfei was furious, but he remembered Gu Xing Shi's instructions and didn't alarm his friend. After a pretense, he hurried back to report to Gu Xing Shi.

Gu Xing Shi listened to Sun Hongfei's report while eating the gossip from the system: 【This screenwriter is not simple. You think he only deceived Sun Hongfei? NONONO, he deceived Xingmao Media along with him! The original script was also plagiarized!】

【The original work is a web novel, not particularly popular, and the author is also a small-time nobody. He directly plagiarized it, and the content is almost identical.】

【Speaking of which, the original author is quite miserable. He is not in good health and cannot go out to work. He can only write one chapter a day, but the income is poor, and he is completely plagiarized.】

To be honest, the quality of this script is quite good. If Ning Tianyou didn't have ulterior motives and filmed it properly, it might have become a small hit. Even if the matter was exposed later, a small writer couldn't compete with a large company like Xingmao Media. Ning Tianyou could just spend some money and suppress the matter.

In the end, only the small writer with dreams would be hurt.

Unfortunately, Ning Tianyou had to cause trouble, and he bumped into Gu Xing Shi.

Gu Xing Shi couldn't help but sigh with the system: 【You say, this old Ning, how come he doesn't learn his lesson? Last time, Xiao Ning said he had already collected evidence and was waiting to give him a fatal blow, and he actually sent the opportunity himself. How embarrassing…】

System: 【…Host, if you lower the corners of your mouth when you say this, it would be more convincing.】

Gu Xing Shi cleared his throat, pretending not to hear the system's complaint, and then asked Sun Hongfei, "Did your friend notice anything unusual?"

"He's not my friend!" Speaking of this, Sun Hongfei was still angry. "However, I was very careful in my investigation, and he shouldn't have noticed anything."

Gu Xing Shi: "That's good. Now we need to keep him steady."

Sun Hongfei realized something and became excited. "Director Gu, do you have any strategy to get back at them?"

Gu Xing Shi said meaningfully, "Don't worry, we'll just wait. They will get what's coming to them."

Knowing that they would have a bad time, Sun Hongfei immediately felt relieved.

But the next second, Gu Xing Shi said, "Let's not talk about this for now. Do you have any leads on a new project?"

Sun Hongfei's face immediately fell.

This was really a headache.

And after this incident, he was really afraid, so during the later discussion of the project, Gu Xing Shi almost became the leader.

Gu Xing Shi didn't stand on ceremony.

Fortunately, after some searching, he really found a suitable project.

Interestingly, this project was rejected by Xingmao Media.

According to the system, Xingmao Media originally planned to film this, but unexpectedly obtained the plagiarized drama, and Ning Tianyou directly decided to film the plagiarized drama, abandoning this one.

This was a lucky find.

The drama is called "Reincarnation," and it's a suspense thriller story.

An ordinary protagonist wakes up to find himself in a strange world. The people around him tell him that he is in a place called the reincarnation world, and he must continuously pass levels to leave this world and return to reality.

To survive, the protagonist desperately tries to pass the levels, and in the process, he meets friends and wants everyone to pass the levels together and leave this world. But as he gradually moves up, he begins to notice something is wrong.

He realizes that he is actually in a Truman Show-like world. The so-called other world is artificially created to make them fight to the death for the enjoyment of the powerful.

After discovering the truth, the protagonist, through a series of schemes, finally escapes, only to find that the so-called escape is a bigger conspiracy.

The idea is very good, and the script is solid.

And Gu Xing Shi also found that there is a role very suitable for Sheng Yueqing.

Since Sheng Yueqing decided to develop comprehensively, he has been working very hard every day.

Gu Xing Shi has seen it all.

But Sheng Yueqing is different from Qin Wen, a natural talent with superb acting skills, able to digest any role.

For him, choosing the right role is a godsend, but if he encounters the wrong role, it's a disaster.

But his characteristics are too distinct.

As a model, this is a good quality, but as an actor, his acting range would be very narrow.

Gu Xing Shi had been paying attention, but he hadn't found a suitable role for him until he saw this script.

So Gu Xing Shi immediately decided to film it!

He immediately sent the script to Sun Hongfei.

Sun Hongfei hesitated. "Director Gu, isn't this theme too niche? There are no such dramas on the market. Wouldn't it be too risky for us to film this…"

Gu Xing Shi understood Sun Hongfei's concerns. After all, it's the first drama, and it's okay to want stability.

But he was very optimistic about this script, and opportunity doesn't come twice. If they miss this time, it will be difficult to find such a good script again.

Thinking of Sun Hongfei's crazy admiration for Wen Yue, he changed his approach to persuasion. "Manager Sun, what do you think Wen Yue would do if he were in your position?"

Sun Hongfei: "Ah?"

Gu Xing Shi patiently guided him. "Look, Director Wen never sticks to the rules. If he just wanted to pick up scraps behind those old companies, why would he go to so much trouble to create this film and television center?"

Sun Hongfei suddenly realized.

No wonder they are a couple! Director Gu always thinks from Director Wen's perspective, always thinking for Director Wen, it's really touching.

Gu Xing Shi continued, "Don't you want to achieve something and make Director Wen look at you with new eyes?"

Sun Hongfei: "!!!"

This isn't about him!

It's clearly Director Gu's own wish!!

He understood!

He completely understood!!

Sun Hongfei's expression changed. "Director Gu, you're right, we'll film this!"

Gu Xing Shi nodded with satisfaction: A promising student!

Sun Hongfei also nodded with satisfaction: I've found true love!