Chapter 414 Tom White's Trip to China
As Jiang Yuqian's arch-rival, Zhang Lan watched Jiang Yuqian's current situation with indifference while also feeling a sense of schadenfreude.
If Jiang Yuqian hadn't already prepared to film Lu Yanhe's "Squid Game," Zhang Lan would have been even happier and less burdened.
She was still worried that Jiang Yuqian might be able to return to her peak with the drama "Squid Game".
At her peak, Jiang Yuqian was firmly half a step ahead of her.
In the past two years, Zhang Lan has been quite lucky. Several of her dramas have been well-received, and although none of them have become huge hits, they have all been popular for a while.
Especially compared to Jiang Yuqian, her ability to carry a drama seems more consistent.
Zhang Lan was quite frustrated because she wanted to star in a drama written by Lu Yanhe, but Lu Yanhe had never written a script with a strong female lead, which troubled her—after all, she hadn't acted in a drama where she wasn't the lead for a long time, and all the dramas she starred in were with strong female leads.
In this situation, Zhang Lan would really be unwilling to act in an ensemble piece.
In a drama like "The Squid Game," where the female lead isn't the lead and is clearly meant to be a supporting role to the male lead played by Jiang Jun, she never expected that Jiang Yuqian would actually actually act in it.
This performance really brought down her status.
If the male lead were an actor of Shang Yongzhou's caliber, that would be fine, but Jiang Jun?
Zhang Lan couldn't help but sneer at the thought.
That day, she met with Hu Siwei from Beijing and Taiwan.
“Producer Hu, I heard that Director Bai Jingnian has left Beijing TV. Will you still continue to make the third season of Friends?” Zhang Lan sighed. “Moreover, the second season did not receive very good reviews, and there were a lot of complaints from the audience. At this time, I am really hesitant to ask you to continue to act in the third season according to the verbal agreement we made before.”
Hu Siwei had already guessed that Zhang Lan would say that.
He smiled and said, "Regardless of whether Bai Jingnian is the director of the third season or not, the third season will definitely continue. Putting aside some unpleasant voices, the second season is still the best-performing TV series in the first quarter. No other series, including web series, has surpassed it. The six main actors, not counting Chen Ziliang, have added more than eight new endorsements. These are all solid achievements. As an artist, you understand the logic behind this better than I do."
“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be hesitating, I would just refuse you directly.” Zhang Lan smiled. “Producer Hu, Friends is certainly a very popular show, but I’m not Chen Ziliang. I don’t need to rely on this show to make a comeback. I want a good role.”
Hu Siwei said, "We will tailor a role specifically for you."
Zhang Lan said, "Okay, as long as I'm satisfied with the role, I'll definitely take it."
Hu Siwei laughed, "Great, with you joining us, I believe the third season of Friends will definitely achieve even better results."
Zhang Lan: "I haven't agreed to come yet; I still need to see the script."
Hu Siwei: "I was wondering why every show you have becomes a hit; you're really careful when it comes to choosing scripts."
Zhang Lan said, "My livelihood is based on acting, and the foundation of acting is the script. If I'm not careful in choosing scripts, then what am I doing in this industry?"
Hu Siwei smiled.
"By the way, Producer Hu, you worked with Lu Yanhe during the first season of Friends. Were you familiar with him?"
“Yes, he’s familiar with it,” Hu Siwei said immediately. “It’s just a pity that some things happened later that made him completely unwilling to return to Friends.”
Zhang Lan thought to herself, if Lu Yanhe were to return to "Friends," she might not be able to get on board halfway through.
This time, in the third season, Jingtai decided to let Chen Ziliang's character leave and replace her with another character joining the main cast. It's an urban sitcom after all; people leaving and joining are perfectly normal, and the script can easily provide any reason for it.
Zhang Lan wants to act in the third season of "Friends" to leverage its popularity. She doesn't plan to stay in the series permanently, but only participate in one season. In that season, she will join the story as a new neighbor, a lover of a main character, or a friend of a main character, and get involved in the story.
The reason for leveraging this opportunity is that she hasn't had a blockbuster like this for several years. No matter how much criticism Friends Season 2 received, the ratings don't lie, the discussion doesn't lie, and the companies that are interested in business partnerships won't do business that doesn't make money.
The number of commercials for the second season of Friends continues to increase.
The reason why the second season was so heavily criticized was largely due to Chen Ziliang, and the criticisms that arose from his character, such as "melodramatic plot and trashy dialogue."
Zhang Lan read it from beginning to end.
It's fair to say that the first season of *Friends* was a masterpiece, so some of the flaws in the second season were magnified. In reality, putting the first season aside, the plot and characters in the second season are still quite good. Of course, Chen Ziliang is an exception.
So when Hu Siwei approached Zhang Lan to discuss the third season, Zhang Lan thought about it seriously for a long time and felt that she should act in it. Because she needed to.
Zhang Lan still doesn't see a future where she can win awards as a serious actress, so she won't be like Jiang Yuqian, rashly plunging into the serious drama circle just because she tasted a bit of success with "The Golden Era." She should remember that "The Golden Era" was a hit because the director was Luo Yuzhong, who can make every serious drama a hit. Not all directors are like Luo Yuzhong.
Zhang Lan believes that her most important task now is to maintain her position, popularity, and status.
If an actor can maintain national popularity for five to ten years, their status is basically secure.
Zhang Lan asked, "I heard that 'The Seventeen Floors' is also preparing for a second season?"
“Yes, Ms. Feng Qiyue is writing a script,” Hu Siwei said. “However, that’s not a project I’m in charge of, so I don’t know the specific progress.”
He looked at Zhang Lan and asked, "What, do you also want to try out the second season of 'The Seventeenth Floor'?"
“I can’t always make sequels,” Zhang Lan immediately shook her head. “Otherwise, people will say I’m just copying what others have said.”
"How could that be?" Hu Siwei flattered. "As long as you want to act, any production team will open its doors for you."
-
After Zhang Lan finished discussing the third season of "Friends" with Hu Siwei, she could head home.
However, she ran into Ma Zhiyuan in the corridor.
Ma Zhiyuan, wearing headphones and with a blank expression, walked over from the opposite side, escorted by his assistant and bodyguards.
Zhang Lan glanced at him with some surprise.
Hu Siwei, who was seeing her downstairs, said, "Is Ma Zhiyuan here to record a program today?"
Zhang Lan: "Ma Zhiyuan also had a tough time. He was quite popular, but he just happened to run into an opponent like Li Zhibai."
Hu Siwei smiled and said, "This is probably a tradition of your Xingyu Entertainment."
There is no such thing as an eternal number one male or female, only an eternal struggle for the top spot.
Zhang Lan understood the veiled meaning in Hu Siwei's words, smiled, and asked, "Producer Hu, if Lu Yanhe's 'Squid Game' does better than 'The Seventeenth Floor' when it's released, won't your Beijing TV station lose face?"
"What?"
"After all, the cast of 'The Seventeenth Floor' is on a much higher level than that of 'The Squid Game'," Zhang Lan said.
Hu Siwei: "They are web dramas, while we are broadcast on both TV and the internet. There is no comparison."
“It seems that Producer Hu also thinks that ‘Squid Game’ will be well-received, as he is unwilling to directly address the competition with ‘Squid Game’.” Zhang Lan smiled. “Actually, Xingyu’s tradition is not without reason. At least competition keeps us alert at all times, so that we don’t become frogs in a well, only seeing the narrow patch of sky above our heads.”
Hu Siwei was stung by Zhang Lan, but he didn't take it to heart.
Zhang Lan is known for her sharp and unapproachable personality.
Anyway, she's famous now, so whatever she says is justified.
Over the years, Hu Siwei has honed his skills in dealing with celebrities.
-
"Zhang Lan will join Friends Season 3? Are you kidding me?"
Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in disbelief, shocked and even incredulous at the news she had just uttered.
Although Lu Yanhe was used to hearing all sorts of shocking news from Chen Ziyan, sometimes he was still so shocked by how incredible the news was that he could hardly believe it.
The feeling was like Friends had become a random public toilet, with unpredictable poop and pee every season... Ugh, Lu Yanhe felt disgusted by this association when it popped into his mind.
Chen Ziyan: "Is Jingtai planning to bring in a new character every season, constantly changing the sixth man and generating new buzz?"
"Is Chen Ziliang not going to act in the third season?"
“It is said that Beijing TV is preparing to remove his character,” Chen Ziyan said. “He was criticized from beginning to end in the second season, but of course, his popularity skyrocketed. He was on the trending topics every now and then and became a darling of various variety shows again.”
Lu Yanhe: "Would Zhang Lan actually agree to act in an ensemble drama?"
“It’s an ensemble drama that’s destined to be a huge hit, especially a series like this that’s been getting a lot of attention. Why wouldn’t Zhang Lan be willing to act in one of the seasons? Don’t think of top stars as being too high and mighty. There aren’t many who can truly transcend worldly concerns,” Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yanhe. “It’s like if a sequel to a blockbuster like Friends were offered to you to star in, would you need that kind of role? No, but we would definitely consider it carefully. And, in my judgment, it’s highly likely that we would accept it for you.”
Lu Yanhe seemed to realize something and nodded.
“Saying you don’t want to act in ensemble dramas is simply because you feel the other actors aren’t good enough for your status, and it makes you feel inferior. But if you were acting in an ensemble drama with actors of Huang Kairen, Zeng Qiao, and Jiang Yuqian’s caliber, would you still want to act in an ensemble drama?” Chen Ziyan curled her lips. “In this industry, everyone will find some high-sounding reasons for their choices and actions. But no matter how high-sounding the reasons are, they are still just reasons. Listen to them, but don’t take them to heart. Just think about yourself. If you really don’t plan to act in a drama, you will directly state the reasons: the script is so-so, the character doesn’t move you, and so on.”
Lu Yanhe: "I thought everyone considered different factors."
“Indeed, everyone considers different factors,” Chen Ziyan said. “But most people are realistic and pragmatic, and we are no exception.”
-
Lu Yanhe and Zhang Lan had no old grudges, let alone any deep-seated hatred.
However, it's a bit awkward to talk about working together. Lu Yanhe is clearly on Jiang Yuqian's side.
Friends is no longer relevant to him. Even if you invited everyone he had a less-than-friendly relationship with to act in it, he couldn't say anything. He would be speechless. He simply felt uncomfortable.
How come the people from Beijing and Taiwan are so good at finding people?
They accurately located Chen Ziliang and Zhang Lan.
-
Tom White from HP came to Yuming on March 9th.
The main reason for this trip is to check on the projects that Lu Yanhe is in charge of.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi first treated him to dinner together.
“The long flight must be tiring, so we haven’t planned anything too lively tonight. Let’s have a simple meal first.” Chen Siqi fulfilled her responsibility as the hostess, welcoming Tom White with appropriate enthusiasm. “This is a restaurant that Yan He and I often come to; it’s one of our favorites.”
This shop is indeed very "niche".
Because it's not one of those fancy restaurants, but rather a small, stand-alone building.
This restaurant is located in a three-story building.
If you want to dine on the second or third floor, you need to make a reservation. However, it is not a private club or restaurant that is only open to members.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi also discovered this place by chance.
The menu at this restaurant is determined by the chef's mood each day and is often subject to change, which often leads to pleasant surprises.
Tom White said, "I like this restaurant."
His deep blue eyes, when looking at the posters of film figures and classic movies hanging on the wall, revealed a naive innocence that seemed almost futile.
“We’ll meet with Jia Long tomorrow morning,” Lu Yanhe said. “He just finished filming the movie ‘Lost in Thailand,’ which was also the first script I wrote. It’s a road comedy.”
Tom White nodded and said, "Lu, comedy films are often the genre most affected by cultural differences. Very few comedy films can be universally appreciated, and even Hollywood comedy films cannot eliminate this influence."
Lu Yanhe knew that Tom White was giving him a heads-up, that he might not be interested in "Lost in Thailand".
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "That's true. However, the subject matter is just a form of expression. What ultimately moves us in a film is the emotion it conveys. Tom, I'm actually very happy that you came all this way to learn about some of my projects. Don't carry such a heavy burden about whether we can collaborate in the end. Since you're here, just enjoy this trip."
Lu Yanhe didn't feel any urgency to close the deal.
Whether or not Tom White ultimately buys the overseas streaming rights to these film and television projects in his possession, Lu Yanhe doesn't really care. What Lu Yanhe really wants is to befriend Tom White.
Although they had only met once before, Lu Yanhe had a pretty good impression of him from that meeting. This was because the man didn't have that condescending or arrogant air about him.
Lu Yanhe dislikes that kind of person.
That evening, the three of them had a very pleasant conversation. They had a lot to talk about regarding film and television dramas.
Tom White, when discussing Asian films and television dramas, said, "Korean dramas are indeed very popular now. They often produce some very engaging series that attract everyone's attention. Actually, ten years ago, Korean dramas didn't have the quality they have now. Back then, our impression of Korean dramas was mainly romance. But things have changed a lot in recent years, and all sorts of themes have emerged. On the contrary, based on my observation of the themes in your Chinese films and television dramas, although the market is booming, the themes and content are somewhat lackluster. I hope you won't be upset by what I'm saying."
Lu Yanhe shrugged and said to Tom White, "Tom, as long as it's not malicious criticism, we Chinese are very open to accepting it. In fact, it's not just you who's saying that; we ourselves are also doing self-criticism. If you've paid more attention in the last two years, you'll find that we've actually produced quite a few new things, like the 'Seventeen Floors' you know."
“Oh! This show is really good.” Tom White nodded.
Lu Yanhe said, "China's film and television production is also making great progress. The market here is huge, and there are many creative talents in film and television. As long as the creative direction is gradually returning to the right path, I believe we will have more and more good works."
Tom White said, "Our platform data over the past few years shows that audiences around the world are increasingly fond of works with novel settings or works that generate a lot of discussion."
"After all, we have entered the Internet age. The physical isolation and boundaries of the past have disappeared. As long as a good work appears, it can slowly become popular through word of mouth. In China, there is a term called 'tap water', which refers to works that do not have enough publicity and marketing budgets but become popular through word of mouth from the audience."
Tom White nodded.
He said, "Indeed, the way film and television dramas are presented in the Internet age has changed a lot compared to before, and it's very different now."
Chen Siqi asked, "Mr. White, are you in charge of copyright acquisition at HP?"
Tom White: "That's how it is for now, but my role will be adjusted soon, and I will be in charge of the Asia-Pacific region's business next."
Chen Siqi was somewhat surprised, "Are you in charge of the entire Asia-Pacific business? No wonder you've suddenly become interested in Chinese films and television dramas."
Tom White said, "No, I've been interested in Chinese culture for a long time. I'm a fan of director Wang Zhong. I've been a fan of his films since his very first few movies."
Tom White had never told Lu Yanhe about this before.
This also struck Lu Yanhe as a coincidence, because when Tom White came over this time, Lu Yanhe had specially arranged to accompany Tom White to visit Wang Zhong's company, with the main purpose of seeing the initial cut of "Rouge".
Chen Siqi asked, "After you take charge of the Asia-Pacific business, will you be stationed here permanently?"
Tom White nodded. "That's right. I'll probably be based in Hong Kong for a long time, and Yu Ming will come often too. After all, I've heard that this is China's film and television production center."
Chen Siqi nodded, "If you encounter anything you don't understand in China, feel free to contact us."
“You’re so thoughtful,” Tom White said, expressing his gratitude.
-
Lu Yanhe rarely received someone with such solemnity.
Therefore, although Lu Yanhe did not tell Chen Siqi directly, Chen Siqi realized that besides personally liking Tom White, Lu Yanhe must have some plans and needed Tom White's help in the future.
And Chen Siqi probably guessed it too.
Although it's a bit early for Lu Yanhe to venture overseas, given that things are still in their infancy in China and he's already incredibly busy with various projects, there are many things that need to be planned for in advance.
If you wait until you have free time to do it, it will take a long time to prepare before you can actually start.
Just like "Jump Up," which has been planning its overseas expansion, despite being incredibly busy with the team (each member practically needs three or four people to function), they haven't abandoned the plan. Instead, they started planning it well in advance. For example, they consciously paid attention to and connected with other publishing companies and institutions overseas; they've already begun selecting manuscripts, compiling anthologies, and commissioning translators. By the time the opportunity actually arises, much of the preparation will already be complete, eliminating the need to start from scratch, which would be too time-consuming and could potentially cause them to miss the opportunity.
Chen Siqi sees herself as someone who plays the role of a "good wife" in the traditional sense.
On behalf of Lu Yanhe, this was to express goodwill in his personal life, beyond his work attitude, and to convey a sense of closeness.
If Lu Yanhe were to do everything, it would make him seem somewhat subservient. Tom White, if he were a rational and mature person, would be fine; otherwise, he might slowly become arrogant under such goodwill. Lu Yanhe is also someone who is easy to talk to as long as his bottom line isn't crossed, so Chen Siqi proactively took on this role, preventing Lu Yanhe from playing it.
-
In fact, Chen Siqi's thoughts were entirely correct.
Lu Yanhe values Tom White for one very important reason, which is indeed related to his identity and HP.
Why does Jong Bon-seok seem to pay relatively less attention to Maxine?
Because Jong Bon-seok is Korean, his enthusiasm for Lu Yanhe stems from his admiration for a popular actor and a talented screenwriter. However, overseas, there is a certain degree of competition between Chinese and Korean films and television dramas, especially since Korean films and television dramas are currently performing very well.
Lu Yanhe needed to have more options at this time. If Zhong Benshuo gave all the better resources, channels, and opportunities to Korean film and television dramas, leaving Lu Yanhe at a disadvantage, he wouldn't be without a second choice. This is why he valued Tom White more.
Tom White harbors no ill will towards China and even enjoys Chinese culture to some extent, which is a significant reason why Lu Yanhe is willing to befriend him.
Furthermore, Tom White is American, and he represented HP in developing the Asian market. His own cultural stance wouldn't lead him to favor any particular Asian country. As for Western films and television dramas—to be honest, though it may sound harsh—Chinese-language films and television dramas at this time weren't yet at a point where they could compete with them.
Therefore, in the coming years, Tom White and his HP will be a crucial and important channel for Lu Yanhe to bring his works to the international market.
-
After the three of them had dinner together, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi took Tom White for a night tour of the Qiming Altar.
Qiming Altar is an ancient building in Yuming, which was a place for worshipping Heaven in ancient times.
Tom White was interested in traditional Chinese culture, so Lu Yanhe arranged for this place to be visited.
After a meal, you can take a walk to digest your food.
In March, it was still chilly in early spring.
A night breeze blew by, carrying a chilly and biting feel.
Tom White looked around curiously.
Both Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi saw a pure curiosity and surprise in Tom White's eyes.
Tom White was even more surprised that Lu Yanhe walked on the street with a calm and relaxed demeanor.
"Aren't you worried about being recognized by your fans?" Tom White asked curiously.
Lu Yanhe said, "At this time, there are not many people on the road and the light is relatively dim, so you generally won't be recognized. But even if you are recognized, it's okay."
Tom White said, "Are all your Chinese fans this rational? Won't they do anything crazy?"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "My fans are generally quite rational and won't do anything too crazy, but there have been some crazy things that have happened, though they are relatively rare."
"Oh, in America, if a big star appears in public, it will definitely cause a commotion."
“Of course, it’s the same in China as well.” Chen Siqi said with a smile, pointing to Lu Yanhe, “It’s just that he’s a bit special in China. People who like him are relatively more rational and don’t follow the typical fan frenzy that idolizes. The main reason people like him is that he’s a top student who got into one of China’s top universities on his own merits, which makes him popular with many parents in our country.”
Tom White looked at Lu Yanhe with some surprise, "I didn't know you were such an academic genius."
Lu Yanhe was both laughing and crying.
“Compared to my classmates, I’m really ordinary,” Lu Yanhe said immediately.
-
The next day, Lu Yanhe took Tom White to Jia Long's company to see some footage from the filming of "Lost in Thailand" and to hear them give an introduction to the entire movie.
HP is one of the world's leading streaming giants.
Lu Yanhe's sudden appearance at the company with HP's future Asia-Pacific head surprised many who had not received prior notice.
Privately, everyone was talking about how Lu Yanhe met Tom White.
When watching the footage of "Lost in Thailand," Jia Long's company even edited in the scene where Lu Yanhe made a cameo appearance.
When Lu Yanhe appeared on screen with his flamboyant, "emo" look, Tom White almost didn't recognize him and asked him hesitantly, "Was that you who just appeared?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded, "I made a cameo appearance in one scene."
Tom White exclaimed in surprise, "That's amazing, it's like he's become a completely different person."
Although Tom White appeared very interested throughout the process and consistently provided positive feedback, Lu Yanhe could still tell that Tom White wasn't particularly interested in "Lost in Thailand".
Lu Yanhe remained calm, as this was something he had expected.
As Tom White himself said, comedy, especially road comedy, is difficult to achieve 100% resonance if it is not in the same historical and cultural context.
Moreover, "Lost on Journey" doesn't look like a very good movie; its visuals are too drab and lack "cinematic" quality.
At noon, Lu Yanhe invited Zheng Huai-ren, the senior executive in charge of content production at Northern Lights Video, Jiang Lan and Hu Siwei from Beijing-Taiwan, as well as directors Luo Yuzhong and Liu Bige to lunch.
This lunch was more of a business dinner.
The style is relatively formal.
Lu Yanhe introduced both parties. After everyone was seated, they inevitably started discussing the current global trends in streaming media and film and television production. They talked about production, audience preferences, and the breakout hits of the past year or two.
The news that Tom White will take over as head of HP's Asia Pacific region has not yet been officially announced.
However, everyone present knew what this position meant.
The significance of Lu Yanhe being able to invite them to a dinner table at this time and introduce them to Tom White is self-evident.
They are all representatives of film and television production and copyright holders, and there will definitely be many areas for cooperation between them and Tom White in the future.
Whether it's for profit, to meet "going global" targets, or simply because a content creator needs a distribution channel, Tom White is someone they hope to get to know.
Having personal connections makes things easier—this is not a cultural tradition unique to the Chinese; it's a universal truth throughout history and across cultures.
After all these actions, it became very difficult to keep the news a secret.
After all, it involves so many parties and so many people.
-
After lunch, Director Jiang Lan and Hu Siwei, who were returning to Beijing together, remained silent. After all, Hu Siwei was not one of her people, but one of Xu Bin's. Although there were no major conflicts or disagreements between them, they were not on the same side.
But after ten minutes of silence, Jiang Lan finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Yan He actually got to know such a person without saying a word." Jiang Lan couldn't help but sigh in amazement. "Sometimes I really wish I could sign him to my job for life. He's so young and so capable."
Hu Siwei smiled and said, "Yan He's abilities are unlikely to stay in one place forever; there's no single place where he can fully utilize them."
Jiang Lan glanced at him and said, "Yan He only called you today, but not Xu Bin. Your station director Xu won't have a problem with that, will he? He's not a generous person."
Hu Siwei said, "The station director has always trusted me, so my coming here is the same as Xu Tailai's."
"Even though your Friends had such a serious conflict with Yan He, Yan He didn't hold it against you. It seems that what others said was true. He is really generous and doesn't hold grudges."
“How could he not hold a grudge? He just knows right from wrong and knows this has nothing to do with me,” Hu Siwei said. “Moreover, to be honest, in the ‘Friends’ incident, we were the ones who acted as Li’s shield. Others may not know, but you, Jiang, do.”
“I understand, but I didn’t ask Chen Ziliang to act in the second season of ‘The Seventeen Floors.’ Now that Chen Ziliang has finished acting, you’ve all seen the situation. I thought that Chen Ziliang’s fame and popularity could help the show reach new heights, but instead, he became a rotten apple. Putting all that aside, don’t you know that the conflict between Chen Ziliang and Lu Yanhe has a long history? Even so, Lu Yanhe still called you over. I really admire his magnanimity.”
Jiang Lan's words left Hu Siwei speechless.
Because he himself had never been very supportive of inviting Chen Ziliang. His view was the same as Jiang Tai's. It's just that his opinion couldn't sway the leaders' decision.
The silence lasted for a while.
Jiang Lan said, "Nowadays, our station has finally turned the tide thanks to the two shows 'Friends' and 'The Seventeenth Floor.' You should think carefully about how to make the third season, and don't let this cash cow that has grown so hard fall down."
Hu Siwei looked at Jiang Lan with some surprise, not expecting her to say that.
“One tree cannot make a forest.” Jiang Lan, perhaps seeing through Hu Siwei’s thoughts, suddenly explained, “A TV station cannot be supported by one or two dramas. You are also a veteran of Beijing TV, and I think you also hope to see Beijing TV regain its former glory. Although it is a difficult thing in this Internet age, since the TV station has not gone bankrupt and we have not left like Bai Jingnian, we have to give it a shot.”
Hu Siwei remained silent for a long time before saying, "Of course I hope so too."
"I hope you won't regret driving Bai Jingnian away."
Hu Siwei sighed inwardly once again.
Bai Jingnian is his longtime friend, and the friend with whom he built "Friends". How could he drive Bai Jingnian away?
However, no matter what he said, the leader insisted that Bai Jingnian was just a lucky director who had stepped in dog poop. He believed that any director could have made "Friends" without any special skills.
Hu Siwei didn't know how to explain to the leaders that the seemingly straightforward and unskilled production shots in "Friends" actually put the director's skills to the test.
Because in sitcoms, visuals are never the primary element; rather, it's the rhythm.
However, because the footage in "Friends" looked like it was shot by just anyone carrying a camera, without any difficult staging or amazing shots, it seemed like anyone could have filmed it, and they never felt that Bai Jingnian's directing ability was that important in this series.
Hu Siwei let out another deep sigh.
-
"Director Bai Jingnian".
The next day, Lu Yanhe brought Tom White to the company building of Northern Lights Video.
Here, they met Bai Jingnian.
"The director of 'Friends' will also be directing another period comedy I wrote, 'My Own Swordsman,'" Lu Yanhe introduced to Tom White. "He's a very experienced director who is also very good at shooting sitcoms."
Upon hearing that Bai Jingnian was the director of "Friends," Tom White's smile immediately brightened, and he extended his hand to shake hands with him.
“I love Friends, I’m a huge fan of the show. It’s a shame I only discovered it too late, otherwise I definitely wouldn’t have let Maxine take it away.”
After hearing the translator's explanation, Bai Jingnian said thank you in his broken English.
The highlight was the second day's video tour of the Northern Lights.
If Lu Yanhe had any real intentions in hosting Tom White this time, it would be something he truly felt would be great if the opportunity arose: that Tom White could see the potential in "The Squid Game".
Because in the timeline before Lu Yanhe's time travel, this drama was a true global sensation. Regardless of how many people questioned why it became such a hit, a work is ultimately judged by its achievements. The fact is, it was a massive success; even with all the doubts, it's the first Asian drama to achieve such global viewership.
Aurora Video specially arranged for Jiang Zixin, the producer of "My Own Swordsman", and Wei Lai, the producer of "Squid Game", to introduce the project.
Lu Yanhe rarely participates in these kinds of PPT presentations about film and television projects.
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had sat in a conference room in such a "business" setting, listening to how a film and television company presented a project. It was truly a different perspective. Lu Yanhe also rarely saw firsthand how a film and television company evaluated the strengths of a production from a sales standpoint.
Tom White listened very attentively, much to Lu Yanhe's surprise. Tom White was also interested in "My Own Swordsman" and had taken many notes in his notebook, frequently showing a thoughtful expression.
-
After the Northern Lights video segment ended, Tom White looked at Lu Yanhe with even more admiration and a touch of disbelief.
“It’s amazing that you’ve been able to create so many completely different works in such a short period of time,” Tom White said. “If you were in Hollywood, you would definitely be a top screenwriter sought after by major studios.”
Lu Yanhe raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "I am already a top screenwriter sought after by major companies in China."
Tom White: "All that's left is to meet with director Wang Zhong tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing the first cut of 'Rouge'."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Perfect timing. You can also give us some advice on which film festival would be most suitable for our film to participate in."
Tom White said yes.
For dinner, Lu Yanhe brought Tom White to Zhenhua University and ate at the school cafeteria.
After we ate, I took him for a walk around the school.
Tom White knew this was the most prestigious university in China, and he kept taking pictures, filled with curiosity.
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized that a key reason why he felt an instant connection with Tom White was his curiosity about him. He was genuinely curious about China—which made Lu Yanhe subconsciously want to show Tom White a more benevolent, inclusive, and kind side of himself.
This had nothing to do with HP anymore; it was an instinctive drive that Lu Yanhe himself was unaware of.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Lu Yanhe suddenly received a phone call.
It was Mrs. Huang from Longyan Film Industry calling.
She heard that Lu Yanhe was hosting Tom White and hoped that Lu Yanhe could act as a go-between to let Tom White meet her.
Lu Yanhe wasn't bothered by the situation, but he didn't want Tom White to be too busy or meet with too many people during this trip.
So Lu Yanhe directly told Tom White about Huang Tai's thoughts and asked Tom White if he wanted to meet her.
"They are one of the largest film production companies in China. My film 'Late Spring,' which was shortlisted for the Venice International Film Festival this year, was produced by this company."
Tom White realized what was happening.
“Oh, this movie,” Tom White said. “If I remember correctly, its overseas streaming rights were sold to Maxine.”
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Yes."
“There have been some conflicts and disagreements between Longyan and the current head of HP Asia Pacific. I haven’t officially taken over yet, so it’s not appropriate to meet with them at this time. It would be better to meet and communicate with them after I officially take over.”
Tom White was also very outspoken and told Lu Yanhe the truth.
Lu Yanhe nodded and directly relayed Tom White's message to Huang Tai.
Mrs. Wong was not surprised at all, and said with a smile, "It's enough that he can say this now. I'll prepare a congratulatory gift for him when he officially takes office."
(End of this chapter)
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