Chapter 53
As soon as Xinghuo’s announcement came out, there was an uproar inside and outside the industry.
The main influence of the modeling city is in the industry. Of course, for the general public, visiting and checking in at the major modeling cities is also an interesting thing, especially since it is the first large-scale ancient film and television base to appear.
The reservation channel was instantly crowded.
In the entertainment industry, the film and television companies or individual directors from Cang Tianxing were relatively easy to deal with. You Guang had already spread the word before, and many companies or directors who saw the potential of the mother planet's films were waiting for the Starlight Modeling City to officially open the reservation channel.
As soon as the announcement came out, Youguang’s official website was quickly snapped up.
In the interstellar era, the director used a model city shooting method similar to that of the blue planet.
The copyright and core of the modeling city are in the hands of the modeling company. They construct various real online scenes. Take Youguang as an example. Their company originally had four departments, each of which built four modeling cities in different directions.
Huan Xu had previously been invited to visit the modeling base of the Second Division's Urban Group. After years of development by Youguang and the modelers' consistent management and construction, the entire urban modeling city had grown enormous, almost like moving a small town online.
Pedestrians, roads, high-rise buildings, speeding cars... try to meet the needs of different directors as much as possible.
The director used many locations for the filming, but he didn't need the entire city to structure the scene.
Moreover, even if the model city is used to assist in filming, the directors cannot not have any scenes of their own.
The management rights of the modeling city are in the hands of major companies. When a director wants to shoot a specific scene, he only needs to make an appointment with the modeling company in advance. It is on a first-come, first-served basis. If the scene is used by another director, the later director can only adjust his shooting plan.
As soon as the reservation channel of Starlight Modeling City was opened, countless assistants or directors from the entertainment industry went to the commercial channel in person to choose their favorite scenes. The scripts were ready, and they were just waiting for the Modeling City to go online and start filming.
In the office of a small entertainment company, Director Zhang is also preparing to test the waters for a film set on the mother planet. He himself is not very good at constructing scenes, let alone the ancient buildings of the mother planet with carved beams and painted rafters.
The establishment of Starlight Modeling City is like a timely rain after a long drought for Director Zhang, and it is just the right thing to do.
Director Zhang used the optical computer to log in to the shopping screen, and his mind was directly placed in the Starlight Modeling City. It was different from what he saw in the film. Being immersed in this ancient city was another feeling.
Director Zhang couldn't help but open his mouth, because before logging in, Director Zhang randomly selected the landing scene of "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" according to the picture. Now, the space he was in was night.
In the vast lotus pond, fireflies are flying everywhere, the moonlight sprinkles silver dew, and frogs croak and insects chirp.
Two cups of wine were placed on the table in the courtyard as originally set.
Director Zhang sat down on the stone bench unconsciously, admired the beautiful scenery, looked into the distance, and saw the ancient city decorated with lights and colorful lanterns.
Director Zhang: "This is the aesthetic taste of our ancestors. No wonder they were able to write such hazy poems."
Director Zhang has already constructed a scene in his mind where the hero and heroine of his play fall in love in a pavilion on the lake, under the moonlight over the lotus pond and surrounded by countless fireflies.
The little fairy is so sweet that the audience can’t stop loving him. His name is written backwards.
Wait, who then?
In the distance, a light boat was floating on the lake, slowly approaching. On the boat, a middle-aged man wearing modern clothes and with a small belly destroyed the harmony of the whole scene.
Director Zhang looked at the other person, and there was a flash of lightning and thunder in an instant. He confirmed from the look in his eyes that they were indeed rivals in love.
Originally, Director Zhang was thinking of taking a tour of the entire modeling city before purchasing scenes in bulk. However, now the first screen scene of "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" must be his!
Lao Zhang lowered his head and quickly pointed his finger at the computer. Another director who was enjoying the beautiful scenery on the lake also became excited and made the same action as Lao Zhang at almost the same time.
A moment later, Lao Zhang's laughter and another scream were heard from the lotus pond.
"Oh no!"
"Hahahaha, who can compete with me, Old Zhang?"
In other venues, many directors or entertainment company personnel who came to join in the fun were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
They never imagined that a model city could have a scene every three steps, to the point where people couldn't take their eyes off it.
"You can capture a good shot from any angle."
"It's absolutely terrible. I'm having trouble making a decision."
"That building over there looks familiar. Shenlou? The Shen family, come on, let's go in and take a look!"
Before they knew it, the directors almost forgot why they came. When they met someone they knew, they made an appointment to visit the various scenes together.
Directors with more unconventional personalities also followed their fans' lead and went to various famous scenes to take photos and check in.
It was not until they heard Director Zhang's wild laughter in the distance and the cries of another director whose exciting scene was snatched away that the directors who came with a purpose remembered their business.
The good friends who were just friendly and respectful to each other suddenly changed their expressions, the smell of gunpowder spread, and the fight began.
"First come, first served. I was the first to see this place. Go away and don't compete with me."
"Strike first, the advantage is great. Your reservation is successful. Go check out other scenes now, or be careful, or those beasts won't leave any for you!"
"……day!"
Without caring about their image, a group of directors walked around the modeling city like aunties in a supermarket sale. When they came across a scene that they could use but had not been reserved, they immediately made a reservation without hesitation.
…
Except for the directors from Cangtian Star who heard the news in advance, at this moment, most of the directors from Haotian Star were still confused, or even very puzzled.
Youguang Modeling is the leading modeling company in Cangtianxing. In the past, Youguang also tried to open up the Haotian market.
However, there is more than one excellent and established modeling company in Haotian, and some of them certainly do not want Youguang to divide the market again. Under the joint resistance of several companies, Youguang's Haotian development plan came to an regretful end.
However, the current concepts of most Haotian people are still stuck in the past, at a stage where no one cares about the culture of their mother planet.
The CEOs of several companies that once competed with You Guang had a private conversation.
"What's going on with Youguang? Is it going to go bankrupt?"
"That's great! Now that the two stars have merged, it's much easier. We need to discuss how to divide up Youguang's original market."
"Everyone, don't worry. I just looked through Youguang's financial statements and checked the relevant news. Youguang's stock is normal, and there haven't been any major negative news reports. It doesn't look like bankruptcy."
"It's like a new official taking office with three fires. Young people are eager to show off. With the foundation laid by their ancestors, even if the investment fails, it will only be a larger loss, not a sudden bankruptcy."
Of course, if they come a few more times, they will just wait to take over the territory.
The old foxes thought to themselves that it was okay, and the corners of their lips rose unconsciously.
As for the official promotion of the merger of the nine stars in order to strengthen the unity of the people of each star and trace the origin of the mother star, most people have been to the museum, once, twice or three times. But if you are not a relevant staff member, can you go there every day?
They actively support the government financially, but spiritually, they are not optimistic about the future business opportunities of the mother planet culture.
The boss of Haotianxing sighed: "Young people are still naive."
In a KTV room in the capital of Cangtian, You Xiang sat on the sofa, shaking a wine glass in his hand, his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, with a lazy posture.
The young man next to him clinked glasses with You Xiang, took a sip, and joked, "I heard that the bosses of several modeling companies over at Haotian are already waiting to see Young Master You make a fool of himself."
You Shao rolled his eyes in annoyance and snorted coldly: "Who is laughing at whom?"
Yang Youtian also smiled and complimented You Xiang, "My old man praised You Shao for his promising young age a few days ago. This move was brilliant. He is worthy of being the leader of our younger generation."
You Xiang waved his hand and said modestly: "If no one gave me the opportunity to show me and give me the confidence, I wouldn't dare to play so big."
Yang Guangyou also nodded in agreement: "If I hadn't been sure that Director Huan really had no background, I would have thought he was a professional talent secretly trained by the authorities for twenty years in order to merge the Nine Stars, haha."
You Xiang compared with two fingers: "The difference between Haotian and our Cangtian is only one Huan Dao."
Yang Youtian: "Young Master You and Director Huan are friends. If there's a chance, we can invite Director Huan out so we can all get to know each other."
You Xiang: "Is it urging you to do it?"
Yang Youtian held his heart in his hands and gritted his teeth as he said, "I handed the blade to you in person."
"I know about this, hahaha. Youtian, a man, could hold back his tears even when he was hurt by love, but he cried several times after being bullied by Director Huan. Isn't it time to meet and tell his true feelings?"
In the private room, everyone laughed out loud because of Yang Youtian's melon.
Speaking of gatherings, someone suddenly mentioned Yan Ze. Yan Ze's status in the small circle is even more special.
In the eyes of his parents, Yan Ze has always been the child of other people's families since he was a child.
In the eyes of this group of young people, Yan Ze is also a leader, not only because of his identity as the successor of Yan Ze Fenghuo, but also because Yan Ze himself, when he sits there, has an inexplicable momentum that crushes everything.
Occasionally, Yan Ze would also attend social gatherings with people of his age, but every time Mr. Yan showed up, the atmosphere of the gathering would suddenly change for some reason.
Like the gatherings nowadays, everyone is young, singing and drinking in a private room, not doing anything messy, just relaxing.
The dozen or so young people present were regulars at some high-end KTVs and bars. Some of the second-generation rich even opened similar places themselves just so that everyone could have a place to gather and have fun together.
However, when Yan Ze attends an event, even if the other party has no special requirements, the person who books the venue will subconsciously cross out these places, and each time it is either a restaurant or a teahouse.
If you want to exercise, that's fine. Go to the golf course or the horse farm and breathe the natural air. A group of young people are more health-conscious than the elderly. It's too sad to talk about it anymore.
Thinking of something, someone reminded him, "By the way, if Director Huan is willing to get to know us, remember not to invite Brother Yan that time."
Someone immediately chimed in: "Ah, yes, I heard that Brother Yan and Director Huan seemed to have a private conflict over something. I heard this from a friend inside Fenghuo."
"I've heard that too. It seems it's because they wore the same clothes on their party night."
You Xiang: “…” It turns out that there are people who really believed the rumors. To be honest, if You Xiang hadn’t been at the scene that day, he would have been misled by the rumors.
As Yan Ze's childhood friend and also a partner of Huandao Company, You Xiang felt the need to clarify things for the two of them:
"These are all rumors. Neither Lao Yan nor Director Huan are petty-minded people."
Yang Youtian nodded in agreement: "That's right."
Before You Xiang could even smile in relief, Yang Youtian said seriously, "It's definitely not about the clothes. Nothing can stop you from thinking about it. There must be something else we don't know about."
You Xiang: "Then tell me what could be the matter?"
Yang Youtian smiled foolishly and spread his paws: "That's Brother Yan and Director Huan's private matter, how would I know about it?"
You Xiang: "..." How should he respond?
You Xiang tried to convince the group from another angle: "You've all seen Guide Dog, right? Don't tell me you didn't recognize that Dahei played Awang."
When he was young, he was called Xiaohei, and when he grew up, he was called Dahei. They knew that Brother Yan's little brother was closer to them than their own family and was very human-like. It was because Yan Ze suddenly raised a dog that the trend of raising pets started in the circle.
Yang Youtian also learned to imitate parrots, but he didn't raise a dog. Instead, he raised a talking parrot. Just when he had developed feelings for the parrot, it fell ill and died. Yang Youtian was introverted for a long time.
Dahei was indeed the evidence. Yang Youtian said nothing and just opened his light brain to search through it. He showed You Xiang the dynamic information of Yan An that he had found. It said:
"I secretly brought Dahei to a play. I wanted to give him a surprise, but the surprise failed. Dahei and I were fined our pocket money. The fun of being in the group was halved. My cat head is crying.jpg
.”
Yang Youtian analyzed the situation to You Xiang seriously: "I guess, maybe Brother Yan and Director Huan didn't have such a bad relationship before, but Xiao An took Da Hei to 'show off' without Brother Yan's knowledge. What if Brother Yan doesn't like Brother Hei to go down this path?"
What path should I take? An actor's path where I make a living with my acting skills? You Xiang said nothing.
Yang Youtian thought he had convinced You Xiang and continued his analysis: "Even if we take a step back, the huge success of Guide Dogs is definitely due to the acting of our Fenghuo Four Young Masters, but Xinghuo is the one who got all the attention. As Fenghuo's president, a qualified businessman, and a cold-blooded boss, someone took money out of Brother Yan's pocket. Brother You, do you think Brother Yan would have any thoughts?"
"But you don't have to be nervous, Brother You. Anyway, we in the family have known Brother Yan's character since we were young. From now on, Brother Yan and us, as well as Director Huan, can just play our own games. Even if you and Director Huan are partners, it won't affect your brotherhood with Brother Yan."
You Xiang continued to remain silent. Damn, it seemed like he was about to be convinced by this kid Yang Youtian.
Could it be... true?
After the party, the hover car was set to automatic driving, and You Xiang couldn't wait to send a message to Yan Ze.
"Hey, Lao Yan, you're still awake? You know, I had dinner with Yang Zi and the others today, and then I heard a very long story, so I'm going to tell you."
Yan Ze: "...Long story short."
You Xiang: "Well, then I'll ask directly, is there really a conflict between you and Director Huan? Is it because Dahei is jealous and killing each other, or is there something else that I don't know about? Please reveal it to me."
Yan Ze: “?”
Yan Ze: "Where did this rumor come from?" When did his relationship with Huan Xu become so bad? They were very good.
You Xiang: "So, you and Director Huan have no conflicts?"
Yan Ze: "What else?"
Yan Ze didn't wait for You Xiang to answer and said directly: "Rumors stop at the wise. We are fine. Thank you."
Being able to make Yan Ze say the word "very good", You Xiang thought, it seems that Old Yan should appreciate Director Huan. That's right, people like Old Yan, Director Huan, and him, Young Master You, are all geniuses with good looks, intelligence and abilities. They should play together and appreciate each other.
"Yang Zi also said that you guys don't have a good relationship privately and have some unspeakable conflicts. I said, how is that possible? Hahaha."
You Xiang seemed to have forgotten his previous hesitation and doubts, and then he was aroused by new curiosity:
"So what's your relationship now?" Are they just ordinary friends, or buddies who can play together? If they are even closer, then they are almost as good brothers as him and Yan Ze, who was his childhood friend?
After a moment of silence, Yan Ze said: "Personal relationship."
You Xiang: "What the hell?"
Yan Ze's voice came from the other side of the computer, and it seemed to raise the end of the tone and repeat: "Personal relationship."
"Oh, so it's a personal relationship."
After hanging up the phone, You Xiang pulled his hair. So, what exactly is a personal relationship?
Probably, perhaps, should be, that means they are very good brothers, right? This should be what the ancients said.
Why does Old Yan speak so elegantly? Tsk tsk, You Xiang can only sigh at the profound family learning and strong bloodline of the Dou family.
Starlight Film and Television City officially started filming, and Huan Xu also came to the scene again at You Xiang's invitation.
Their arrival was very low-key and did not alarm others.
Standing far away on the outskirts, it was still early, but I could already see the bustling city.
Crew members and the extras they recruited came in and out.
Standing on the periphery, feeling the atmosphere inside the film and television city, Huan Xu felt as if he was in another world.
On Blue Star, Huan Xu also filmed in the film and television city. As the filming location for costume films, several major domestic film and television bases welcome and send off people every day, and countless crews and actors have left their footprints there.
Although the Starlight Film and Television City is only in its initial stage of construction, many of the crews currently filming in the city are small-budget productions that do not require much preparation. Directors can simply hire actors and start filming if they have a good script and funds on hand.
However, Huan Xu felt the prosperity like the rising sun.
The corners of his lips lifted unconsciously. Huan Xu was looking forward to seeing the Starlight Film and Television City continue to expand, attracting more famous directors and crews, and leaving a strong mark in their works.
You Xiang invited, "Director Huan, shall we go in and take a look?"
Huan Xu nodded: "Okay."
Standing closer, I could faintly hear the director's roar, and a crew had already started the day's filming.
The sound of horse hooves clattered, the tulle fluttered, and through the gap one could see half of the lady's beautiful face.
Suddenly, the horse went crazy out of the driver's control and rushed towards the roadside stall.
The stall owner fell to the ground and yelled, "Help!"
Inside the car, the young lady's face turned pale with shock.
At this moment, a black-clad knight dressed like a gangster rushed out of the crowd, slapped the horse with one hand, and controlled the mad horse with his own strength.
The stall owner who was almost killed by the horse's hooves thanked him repeatedly, and the young lady was helped out of the carriage by her maid. The young lady, wearing a veil and revealing a pair of sharp autumn eyes, still had panic in her eyes, but she pretended to be calm and bowed to the young man.
"Thank you for saving my life, hero."
A typical hero-saves-the-beauty plot.
As a shot ends, the director claps his hands, the crew takes a short break, and the stagehands prepare props for a new round of filming.
Huan Xu and his friends continued to visit other scenes.
Suddenly, Huan Xu looked at a pharmacy on the street and raised his eyebrows. There was a sign hanging in front of the pharmacy: Tu's Medical Clinic.
Both the name and the storefront look familiar. It's the clinic that Xiaoyu opened in Liangcheng when she turned into a doctor in the novel "Untitled".
Now, as a basic model, it has been moved to the city intact.
Outside the clinic, a group of young people gathered and took turns posing for photos.
"One, two, three, eggplant."
"Don't just make the scissors hand sign, make a heart sign and let's go."
Today happens to be the first day that the film and television city is open to netizens for visits. Several young people are among the first lucky netizens. They were lucky enough to draw a spot at the beginning and entered the film and television city for a visit early.
Filming is not allowed in most places in the city, as well as on-site filming locations, and netizens who visit must sign a confidentiality agreement.
Several iconic buildings, such as the Tu Family Medical Clinic and the Shen Family Theater, are areas specially reserved by the tour group for non-filming crews. They are only for tourists to take photos, which is also another form of traffic diversion.
Ye Qian pushed his glasses and said, "It seems to be working well."
You Xiang also laughed and said, "Of course, the popularity of Director Huan and the Quartet is no joke."
In addition to checking in, during the visit to the Model City, if tourists are lucky enough, they can also go outside the crew to wait for some extras. If they are luckier, they may even get a shot with lines and experience what it is like to be an actor.
Several young people obviously wanted to try their luck, so after checking in at Tu's Medical Clinic, they dispersed to different crews to look for opportunities.
At the end of the long street, exclamations of new visitors could be heard from afar.
"Fuck, look over there, that's Xiaoyu's clinic. Dream back to Wuti, Baibai, come on, let's check in and take a photo!"
"I'm going to post a status update. I'm so envious of Orange and the others. Hahaha, let's see who dares to call me a non-African from now on. From today on, I'm no longer a non-African and I'm a European!"
Before meeting up with their friends online, Huan Xu and his group turned to another road. As they walked forward, You Xiang suddenly remembered something and spoke with high spirits:
"I almost forgot, I have some good news to share with you all today. Several large entertainment companies that were previously on the sidelines have recently sent us letters of intent for venue leasing cooperation."
When big entertainment companies get involved, it’s no longer a small-scale affair. To maintain absolute confidentiality, many famous directors shoot in closed conditions, booking several scenes at a time until the filming is completed.
It was not friendly enough for other small crews who wanted to rent related scenes, and they had to change their shooting plans.
But for the operators of the modeling city, such large orders are definitely more profitable.
Not only will they earn money, but when the film is released in the future, if it becomes a hit, it will also indirectly increase the reputation of the film and television city and attract more crews to come and share in the joy.
Although Starlight Studios is now Youguang’s exclusive business, Youguang can never have too much fame.
Xinghuo is the second largest shareholder of Starlight Film and Television City. Signing large orders from the film and television city is a sure-win business for Xinghuo.
Fame is secondary. The most important thing is that the large amount of cash flow will be enough to implement Ye Qian's comprehensive expansion plan, upgrade equipment and introduce talents!
If there are more people in Xinghuo, we will have to purchase new properties, office space, artist dormitories, etc., all of which will require financial support.
The rating of Starlight Modeling City is unsurprisingly high. After the filming is finished, the crews that have filmed in the film and television city will have a satisfaction survey of the film and television city. Every director came with excitement and left with satisfaction, and all chose to give Starlight Film and Television City a high score.
The survey included a question: "What do you think needs to be improved in the film and television city?"
The directors responded, "Everything is good and doesn't need improvement. If I had to say anything, I hope the film and television city can expand to version 2.0 as soon as possible."
They want Modo, Modo scenes!
In the evening, You Xiang called Yan Ze again.
What are you doing?
Of course, they followed Yan Ze in praising their mutual friend, Director Huan.
As soon as the call was connected, You Xiang started to talk a lot of nonsense: "Lao Yan, ah, those entertainment companies are really difficult to deal with. I told them at the beginning that our Xingguang is the only one in the sky, no, the Jiuchongtian, a large-scale ancient film and television city on the mother planet."
"You can imagine that business is booming. The venue is first come, first served. If you arrive late, you will have to wait."
"They wanted to wait and see, to evaluate, and were a step behind others. Several large-scale scenes were already contracted by other film and television companies, and now they are trying to curry favor with me, hoping that I will help them through the backdoor."
"Really..." You Xiang sounded like a complaint, but his tone was full of pride.
Yan Ze was about to hang up the phone, but his ears moved and You Xiang's next words made him pause.
During the call, You Xiang suddenly mentioned Huan Xu: "Old Yan, I'm increasingly convinced that Director Huan is amazing. How can someone be so outstanding?"
"Yeah." Yan Ze: "He is very good."
Hearing Yan Ze's agreement, You Xiang became even more excited: "People often say that when God closes a door for you, he will open a window for you."
"Alas, when it comes to Director Huan, it seems like God favors him."
"Not only did we give Director Huan talent, we also gave him a handsome face. Hehe, we also let Director Huan meet such excellent friends like us two." You Xiang shook his head narcissistically. Yes, he was as excellent as Director Huan and Lao Yan.
"How's that word? Personal relationship, hahaha." You Xiang felt that he was familiar with Huan Xu. They were all good brothers. According to the new word Yan Ze had learned before, they all had a "personal relationship."
Yan Ze: "..." Yu, you have nothing to do with it. What does his personal relationship with Huan Xu have to do with that idiot You Xiang?
Yan Ze sighed: "Eat more walnuts."
You Xiang asked naively, "Why? I've never liked the taste of walnuts since I was a child."
Yan Ze: "To replenish my brain."
You Xiang: "..." No, are you saying he is stupid, or are you trying to make him smarter?
Yan Ze: "Are you still praising me?"
You Xiang: "Brother, are you talking about Director Kua Huan?"
Yan Ze: "Well, anything else?"
You Xiang said uncertainly, "No, no more." Yan Ze asked specifically, he really couldn't think of any new words.
Yan Ze: "Okay, I'll hang up then."
Before hanging up, Yan Ze added, "Next time you praise him, come find me. Also..."
Yan Ze emphasized: "He is very good, but it has nothing to do with you."
"..." You Xiang blurted out: "Still looking for you? It has nothing to do with me, but it has something to do with you?"
There was a busy tone on the communication.
You Xiang looked down at the light computer that had hung up the call. No, what does that mean? Was there something strange about the conversation between him and Lao Yan?
Finally, You Xiang murmured, "Could it be that because I praised Director Huan but not Lao Yan, Lao Yan feels unbalanced? I didn't know Lao Yan liked to hear people flatter him. How strange."
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