Chapter 109 Little Beauty
At night, in a hotel box.
The air was filled with the smell of alcohol and cigars, and was a bit stuffy.
Director Li Mo was leaning back in the main seat, his hair a little messy, and his usually sharp eyes were now obviously drunken.
Sitting next to him was screenwriter Fang Wenjun, a middle-aged woman with a capable temperament.
Li Mo's voice was slurred, his tongue slurring. "Tell me, we spent three years polishing 'War Smoke and Chaos'! Three years! We worked on the script word by word. What was the purpose? Wasn't it just to tell something real?"
"It tells the story of those three years, when the old and the new gave way to each other, when people's hearts were torn apart, and when ideals collided with reality and were shattered to pieces. What a wonderful book."
He became more and more excited as he spoke: "But the market won't buy it. I have no choice but to shoot some fast-food dramas first."
“Thinking back, what kind of stuff were we filming?”
"They're all made to please investors, to promote those wooden beauties and popular young actors. Can you really call them dramas?"
"The plot logic is ridiculous. I feel embarrassed to even put my name on it."
He took a big gulp of tea, as if trying to swallow down the frustration.
"If it weren't for the generous budget provided by the financial sponsor behind me, I wouldn't serve you!"
The chief producer Li Jinfu, sitting on the other side of Li Mo, is a middle-aged man with a shiny forehead.
He smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Director Li, calm down, calm down! It's all in the past!"
"The market has its demands, and we have to eat, right?"
As he spoke, he winked at the assistant director Wang Hai who was accompanying him.
Assistant Director Wang Hai, a smooth and sophisticated man, immediately raised his glass and agreed: "Yes, yes, yes, Producer Li is right. Director Li, you are a great artist with a long-term vision."
"Now we have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. We have raised enough funds for 'War Smoke and Chaos' and it will definitely succeed."
Screenwriter Fang Wenjun looked at this hypocritical response coldly, a sarcastic arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, he picked up the juice and took a sip without saying a word.
Seeing that the atmosphere seemed to have eased a bit, Li Jinfu leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and glanced at the men present: "But, let's just talk about this behind closed doors."
"Later, there will be a young artist coming from Shen Media to have a couple of drinks with Director Li and talk about the character."
"Girls, you're thin-skinned. Don't say these things in front of others."
He paused deliberately and winked, "Everyone understands the market rules, right? Give them some face."
Fang Wenjun tightened her grip on the cup, and she suddenly raised her eyes to look at Li Jinfu's greasy face, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disgust.
It's the same thing again!
She knew too well what the role of accompanying people to drink and chat meant.
This group of people may have talent, but their inherent filthiness and arrogance in treating women as playthings have remained the same for decades and have never changed.
She just felt her stomach churning, and looking at the faces of the people in front of her, she couldn't stay there for a moment.
Just at this moment, Li Mo, who was drunk, didn't understand what Li Jinfu meant. He started mumbling to himself, expressing his dissatisfaction with a certain investor's forcing people in.
"Director Li."
Fang Wenjun's voice was not loud, but she interrupted Li Mo's chatter.
She stood up and picked up the coat draped over the back of the chair with swift movements, her face expressionless.
"You've had too much to drink. We still have to check out the venue tomorrow morning."
"I'm on my way, let me take you home."
Li Mo looked up in confusion: "Ah? Lao Fang, are you leaving now?"
Li Jinfu's smile froze for a moment, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he quickly smiled again: "Oh, yeah, what time is it? Sit down for a while!"
"The young lady from the Shen family will be here soon, so it's a good opportunity to get to know her."
"No need." Fang Wenjun interrupted him, her tone firm and with the arrogance of an intellectual.
"There are still some details in the script that I need to consider again."
"Director Li, let's go."
Without saying anything, she helped the drunk and reluctant Li Mo up and half-supported and half-dragged him out.
The door of the box opened and closed, taking away the only woman and Li Mo, a drunk who might be in the way.
Li Jinfu looked at the closed door, sneered, slowly lit a cigar, and said to Wang Hai and the people in the circle nearby:
"Tsk, Lao Fang is just too aloof and doesn't know how to adapt."
"Okay, it's better to have one less nerd. It'll be quiet."
"Just wait, Shen's little beauty should be here soon."
He narrowed his eyes, anticipation showing on his greasy face.
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