Chapter 297 The Grand Finale
What exactly does "Beijing-Taiwan" mean?
"They previously agreed that it would be an exclusive broadcast on television, and they kept telling us that they would use it to boost ratings. Now they haven't told anyone, and they've turned around and said on the day we started filming that they would consider a joint broadcast on television and the internet?"
"From that promotional video to this incident, what exactly are you Beijing and Taiwan doing?"
...
After the rather unceremonious opening ceremony, Lu Yanhe said to Bai Jingnian, "Director, the drama is in complete chaos right now, and I can't film under these circumstances."
Bai Jingnian also sighed.
"Yan He, you should go and rest first." He looked at Lu Yan He with some helplessness.
This might be the first time Lu Yanhe had experienced something like this, but it wasn't for him.
In an organization like the Beijing-Taiwan Film and Television Center, Bai Jingnian, as a director, had already experienced far too many things like this.
A project is not decided by any one person, nor can anyone have the final say.
While Hu Siwei, Lu Yanhe, and I appear to be the main creators, the previous promotional video incident revealed that many people could have interfered in the matter.
The Beijing-Taiwan border is an administrative body.
They are just the production team.
Even Hu Siwei, as the producer for Beijing TV, could not change this situation.
The person being interviewed by reporters at the scene was Long Bin, a senior executive in charge of marketing and sales at Beijing-Taiwan.
Long Bin's faction in Beijing and Taiwan was not the same as Xu Bin's.
Therefore, he doesn't buy into Xu Bin and Hu Siwei's opinions and says such things. Hu Siwei can't refute him immediately because he doesn't know if Long Bin's remarks were authorized by anyone or if they will cause a new impact on the show.
Hu Siwei contacted Xu Bin immediately.
After listening, Xu Bin simply said, "I understand," and hung up the phone.
Hu Siwei knew that Xu Bin had gone to resolve this matter.
He went to find Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe sat in the lounge, with Yan Liang accompanying him.
Two people are talking.
Hu Siwei knocked on the door and came in, calling out Yan He's name.
Lu Yanhe turned around and glanced at Hu Siwei, then sighed.
"Producer Hu, what exactly is going on? What's the situation?"
Hu Siwei said, "I just called Xu Tai, and he went to resolve this matter. We were also caught off guard by this. We didn't receive any prior notice. We don't know if it was the station's idea or if Long Bin was just making empty promises."
“This is the second time I’ve been betrayed.” Lu Yanhe looked at Hu Siwei seriously. “Don’t think that I’m just a small actor now. Even if I were a movie star like Shang Yongzhou, I couldn’t withstand this kind of torment from you Beijing TV, exploiting me, betraying me, and using me as a target. Just because I trust you and the director doesn’t mean I’m willing to suffer this kind of thing again and again.”
Hu Siwei nodded and said, "I understand. I also feel sorry for you in this matter. Please believe me, this was absolutely not our intention. It's just that... the infighting and factional struggles within the station have been going on for many years. Such situations are endless and impossible to guard against."
“These things should have been agreed upon in the contract I signed with you. Whether you wanted an exclusive broadcast on TV or a joint broadcast on TV and the internet, it didn’t really concern me. But you shouldn’t have pushed me into the fire by saying you wanted an exclusive broadcast on TV, causing a huge uproar and making everyone question my decision. Now you’ve gone back on your word, making it seem like all our previous actions were just for marketing hype,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’m an actor, I’m an artist, and I have an obligation to promote this drama. But if you treat me like a fool and use me as a pawn, and then my gun turns against you, that’s your own problem.”
Lu Yanhe's words were already very firm.
Hu Siwei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, I know. Don't worry, we will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."
-
After Hu Siwei left, Lu Yanhe sighed.
Yan Liang was speechless and said, "Did he really not know about this whole mess?"
“Whether he is truly unaware or pretending not to know, I have to tell him this,” Lu Yanhe said. “This is not the first time. They still haven’t given me an explanation for what happened with the promotional video. Because I had to film and work together, I tolerated it. I could tolerate it once, but not a second time. Sister Ziyan once said that the more you can tolerate, the more things you will have to tolerate.”
Yan Liang frowned, shook his head, and said, "They did something really unethical."
He looked at Lu Yanhe and sighed, "I used to think you were really amazing. You've only been acting for a short time, yet you can already lead a project and decide on the actors. That's a lot of power. But now, seeing you like this, I realize it's not like that at all."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I used to think the same as you, that Beijing TV was very generous, even letting me decide who the actors were. I said I wanted you and Wen Minglan to play two roles, and they agreed immediately without any hesitation. I was surprised. Now it seems that it was only because they thought this drama would likely flop, so they didn't pay much attention to it and few established actors were willing to act in it. Now that this drama is making a lot of noise, they have seen the popularity, the value and the benefits, and they want to interfere again."
As the two were talking, their phones suddenly rang at the same time.
This inexplicable coincidence made them exchange a glance, and they felt a bad premonition.
-
Five minutes ago, Li Zhibai posted a Weibo post: This TV station is really something. They kept saying they wanted to broadcast it exclusively on TV, pushing Lao Lu to the forefront to take the brunt of the criticism. For the past month, so many people in the industry have advised him not to act in this drama, not to take it. Because he promised them and believed in the script he wrote, he kept going, determined to do a good job on this drama. Now he's been criticized and questioned, and suddenly the TV station has changed its mind and wants to broadcast it on both TV and the internet? If you're so capable, why don't you just fly to the sky and set off a firecracker?
Three minutes ago, Li Zhibai posted a second Weibo post: "We haven't even explained the matter of using Lao Lu as a sieve in the promotional video yet, and now you're talking nonsense like you've lost your mind. Which actor will dare to cooperate with Beijing TV in the future? Are you bullying your customers because you're a big company? An actor who endured all the grievances alone in order to make 'Friends' a good filming and broadcast is treated like this by you?"
One minute ago, Li Zhibai posted his third Weibo post: "Go to hell, you bunch of idiots!"
"Delete them right now!"
"I won't delete it!"
Li Zhibai hung up the phone and sat down in his seat at the filming location with a frosty expression.
All around him were staff members coming and going, and everyone was clearly aware of his actions, cautiously peeking at him.
Li Zhi was furious.
He didn't even need to ask Lu Yanhe to know what was going on.
The live broadcast showed the astonishment and disbelief on the faces of Lu Yanhe and the others after that idiot named Long Bin said those things, which spoke volumes.
Li Zhibai simply couldn't swallow this insult.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang had their concerns, but he had absolutely no concerns.
His three sharp remarks on Weibo shook the entire internet.
Who would have thought that an actor would suddenly launch a fierce attack on Beijing and Taiwan?
Li Zhibai was a little nervous after posting on Weibo, and he didn't know if Lu Yanhe would be annoyed.
After all, he had unwittingly stirred up trouble.
Sure enough, Lu Yanhe sent him a message a minute later: You're an idiot.
Li Zhi grinned, said nothing, opened Weibo, and scrolled through it about ten times.
Lu Yanhe posted on Weibo: There's a lot I want to say about what happened, but some idiot has already said it. I've already signed a contract for Friends and can't withdraw from filming. It's a script I wrote very seriously, and its main creators are a team we assembled very seriously. We will still use 100% focus and enthusiasm to complete it, but I will withdraw from this follow-up project that I originally wanted to make into a seasonal drama, including my roles as an actor and screenwriter.
-
In the afternoon, there was still no movement from Beijing and Taiwan.
Lu Yanhe said to Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian, "Let's start filming this afternoon."
A group of people gathered at the scene.
Studio shooting.
There were more than 30 staff members on site, but there was almost no joyful atmosphere.
Lu Yanhe's speech had put "Friends" and Beijing TV on the hot seat.
Regardless of the final outcome, Friends was already falling apart from the day filming began.
Yin Xincheng and the other newcomers looked bewildered. Perhaps everything that had happened today was simply too unbelievable for them.
Everyone seemed a bit off.
Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian were alright; after all, they were veterans. Despite all that had happened, they remained calm and composed on the spot, showing no emotion whatsoever.
The key is the actors' condition.
After another failed take, Lu Yanhe said to Bai Jingnian, "Director, shall we take a break?"
Bai Jingnian nodded.
Lu Yanhe gathered the actors together.
"Everyone, I'm very sorry. The events of the past few days, including my remarks today, have seriously affected your acting." Lu Yanhe apologized to everyone first.
Yin Xincheng quickly shook his head and said, "No, no, it's just that I haven't adjusted my own state."
The other two girls chimed in.
"No matter what, Friends is a great show. No matter how annoying the external factors are, I assure everyone that as long as we make this show seriously, it will definitely be a classic sitcom," said Lu Yanhe. "Even if I stop acting later, everyone can still continue making this show. If this show becomes as popular as I expect, there will definitely be a second and third season. This will be an important work in everyone's—including my—acting career. So, no matter what happens, no matter what the outside world says, we will just do what we should do as actors on set and act well, okay?"
The others nodded.
Although concerns still exist, everyone's condition has improved significantly.
-
“Young Lu is hot-blooded. Once he said those words, there was no room for negotiation,” Xu Bin said to Chen Ziyan.
Chen Ziyan: "Director Xu, when you produced that promotional video and didn't feel any remorse towards Xiao Lu, did you consider any room for maneuver?"
Xu Bin looked at Chen Ziyan: "Are you comparing the reputation of an actress to the image of the entire Beijing TV station?"
Chen Ziyan: "You are comparing the so-called image of a traditional television station that is already in decline with the reputation of a rising star of tomorrow."
Xu Bin narrowed his eyes. "The sun sets in the west?"
"Isn't that so?" Chen Ziyan was aggressive, even threatening. At this moment, she even looked a bit like He Yingzi. "Originally, when you came up with a project like 'Friends' to try and save your ratings, I thought you finally had some guts and were starting to think about giving it your all. But now it seems that you never thought 'Friends' could win. You were just putting on a show of giving it your all to increase your chances in your career?"
Chen Ziyan's eyes even revealed a hint of sarcasm.
Xu Bin: "Chen Ziyan, do you know what you're saying?"
“I know.” Chen Ziyan looked at him coldly. “You also know that I’ve seen far too many people like you since I was a child. Why have I stayed in the entertainment industry? Because no matter how dark or dirty it is, it’s not something that power, wealth, or class can control. Here, as long as the audience likes you, someone from the slums can rise to the top overnight. If the audience doesn’t like you, even if you’re a princess, you’ll only be a latrine to be pelted with stones. Many people don’t know why I’m so arrogant, but you definitely do. So do you know what I’m talking about, Director Xu?”
Xu Bin's expression changed, his lips twitched, and he fell silent.
Chen Ziyan said, "You should also tell Jiang Lan that if she continues to cause trouble behind our backs, there's no need to cooperate anymore."
After Chen Ziyan finished speaking, she looked at Xu Bin and said, "Director Xu, no matter what, now that 'Friends' has started filming, you are the biggest boss behind this project. You should make sure it is filmed and broadcast smoothly. Even the broadcast time has to be decided by your subordinates arguing. If you try to avoid suspicion, you might end up avoiding all the credit as well."
-
The Beijing and Taiwan authorities acted as if they were dead. Despite such a major incident and the uproar in public opinion, they remained silent, as if nothing had happened. No one stepped forward to respond, as if everyone had been silenced.
Meanwhile, filming for Friends resumed as normal.
Because it was a studio shoot, all the scenes were filmed inside the studio, unlike other dramas which were filmed all at once.
Lu Yanhe only films for about two days a week, which doesn't affect his classes.
Phoenix Terrace finally came to its finale at this time.
On the day of the finale, a torrential downpour suddenly began.
Lu Yanhe sat in his dormitory and watched the finale of Phoenix TV online with everyone else.
When he saw the character he was playing die, Lu Yanhe's heart skipped a beat.
When Lu Yanhe was acting in this scene, he didn't feel that heart-wrenching pain. He was completely immersed in the role and in a state of mission. Now, as an audience member watching him, we can feel the helplessness and sorrow of "fate".
After the finale aired, there was an online live-streaming event.
Lu Yanhe had already received a notification from the production team in advance that he would be participating in this live-streaming event after the finale aired.
Nine key members of the production team appeared in the live broadcast room.
Because Phoenix TV was indeed very well-received, and everyone benefited greatly from the show, almost everyone was beaming with joy, including Lu Yanhe.
However, his situation was much more complicated; it could be said that the past two months had been a rollercoaster of emotions. If it weren't for the "Friends" incident, Lu Yanhe should have been riding high on the success of "Phoenix TV" during its broadcast, but the reality was quite different.
Lu Yanhe originally thought that because of his conflict and controversy with Beijing and Taiwan, he would not be allowed to participate in this live broadcast event, but he did not expect that they would still insist on letting him participate.
"Today we're talking about 'Phoenix Terrace'," producer Huang Cheng said at the start of the live stream. "Our show is doing so well, thank you all for your support and love. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments. Our assistant will collect them and answer them later. Now, let's talk about Director Chen. After watching the finale tonight, what are your thoughts to share with everyone?"
Chen Lingling said, "Actually, everything I wanted to say has already been put into the drama. Preparing a drama, from preparation to filming to post-production and then to broadcasting, takes a lot of effort. However, this drama was made relatively smoothly. Every step went smoothly and there were no major problems."
Huang Cheng asked, "Where's Brother Qiao?"
Zeng Qiao said with a smile, "My eyes were so red from watching the finale just now, sigh."
Lang Xia also said, "Me too, when everything came to an end, I felt very sad."
Zeng Qiao asked, "Yan He, what were your feelings when you saw your character die?"
Lu Yanhe said, “It’s strange. It’s completely different from when we were filming. When I was filming this scene, I didn’t feel that bad. But when I was watching the show, I was probably in the audience’s perspective. Suddenly, I felt that his life’s fate was very helpless, but it seemed that he had no other choice. I understand his struggle, but I also hope that he can let go of his hatred. Of course, in fact, we all know that this is just for show. Hatred is not so easy to let go of.”
(End of this chapter)
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