Chapter 433 Lin Desheng
When He Yunlan learned that Lu Yanhe's new movie had cast a girl from Jiangzhi as the female lead, she was overjoyed, laughed twice, and patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder.
Liu Yiyi helped He Yunlan say what he wanted to say.
"Jiang Zhi, having you is our blessing."
Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand and said, "Sister-in-law, you flatter me, you flatter me, I don't deserve it."
For He Yunlan and Liu Yiyi, the role Lu Yanhe played in Jiangzhi's development over the past two years is something that others might try to justify from various angles and perspectives, arguing that Lu Yanhe's contributions were unnecessary. However, the couple clearly understood how much Lu Yanhe had done and what his contributions meant.
This time, Lu Yanhe chose a girl from Jiangzhi to play the female lead. If this girl is lucky and becomes an overnight sensation, her connection as a native of Jiangzhi will not only make Jiangzhi known to more people, but also provide a local Jiangzhi spokesperson for various aspects in the future.
Lu Yanhe didn't actually choose Zhang Ruozhi for that reason. No matter how much he liked Jiangzhi and wanted to contribute to its development, he wouldn't specifically choose a girl from Jiangzhi to play the female lead.
However, if it could serve such a purpose incidentally, Lu Yanhe would be happy to see it happen.
-
Lu Yanhe finally breathed a sigh of relief after the contract was signed and no unexpected incidents occurred.
Before this, Lu Yanhe was actually quite worried that something unexpected might happen.
What if Zhang's mother changes her mind again, or something else happens... Anyway, anything can happen before a film is finished.
Lu Yanhe met with Zhang Ruozhi again.
“Ruoruo, I’ll give you the script first so you can familiarize yourself with it. After you finish your exams and have summer vacation, come to Yuming, and I’ll hire an acting teacher for you to teach you acting,” Lu Yanhe said. “Also, I want to seriously tell you, don’t worry about not being able to act well just because you’ve never acted before or studied acting. There’s no need to do any fancy preparations yourself. Just memorize your lines, and leave the rest to the professional teachers. We chose you because we value your natural talent, the talent that hasn’t been trained.”
Zhang Ruozhi nodded.
Lu Yanhe thought of something else, smiled, and said, "If your good friend Liu Lingmeng is also willing to come, you can invite her along. I will arrange your food and accommodation in Yuming, so you don't need to worry about anything."
Faced with Lu Yanhe's concern, Zhang Ruozhi clasped her hands in front of her and nodded silently, saying "okay."
Lu Yanhe turned to look at Chen Siqi.
Chen Siqi nodded, indicating that she could leave the rest to her.
-
After all, there are differences between men and women, and Lu Yanhe is not single. If he shows too much concern and care for Zhang Ruozhi, he and Chen Siqi are innocent and have nothing to fear, but he is also afraid that Zhang Ruozhi will overthink it.
Chen Siqi and Zhang Ruozhi walked around the playground of her school and chatted.
Lu Yanhe wandered around the school alone.
He found the campus beautiful, a beauty imbued with memories of bygone eras. The buildings were old-fashioned, not so modern. Especially when the sunlight shone through, the vast expanse of greenery made the campus lush and verdant.
Around noon, the school was quite crowded with students. Lu Yanhe, wearing sunglasses and a hat, moved among them, naturally attracting many curious glances. However, while everyone looked on with curiosity, no one took the initiative to approach him.
Even though many people recognized him as Lu Yanhe and excitedly took out their phones to take pictures of him.
The more Lu Yanhe looked at it, the more he felt that "Love Letter" should actually have been filmed here.
The story of "Love Letter" could not possibly take place in a highly developed city. In a developed city, there is no fertile ground for the growth of that kind of simple yet pure love.
Lu Yanhe took many photos and videos and sent them to Luo Yuzhong and Liu Bige, asking for their opinions.
Luo Yuzhong said, "This campus is beautiful."
Liu Bige said, "This school is beautiful, but I see that the windows are very small. You have to think about the lighting problem. Lighting is a big challenge for indoor plays."
Why are many films shot on set in studios? Because it's actually more convenient for filming.
For film and television works, the importance of light is no less than that of style.
With good lighting, every shot will look good.
Even if the image itself is beautiful, a bad light will result in a blurry mess when photographed.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Is there any way to do this?"
Although in his memory, the film "Love Letter" itself was very dark.
Liu Bige said, "Either you use artificial light sources outside, which is technically feasible, but if you want to shoot with natural light, the shooting time for many scenes is very limited. If you don't finish shooting, you can only wait."
Lu Yanhe understood what Liu Bige meant.
This technical problem can definitely be solved; it just depends on whether Lu Yanhe is willing to compromise. If he is not willing to compromise, then the shooting requirements will be very high. There may only be two to three hours a day suitable for shooting. As the sun rises and sets, the light will not be good after that time.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you bring your photography team to take a look?"
Liu Bige: "...Are you serious?"
“I’m serious,” Lu Yanhe said. “If possible, I would like to film ‘Love Letter’ here.”
Liu Bige: "Then you need to consider another issue. There are quite a few winter scenes in 'Love Letter,' the kind with heavy snow. Are you sure that there can be heavy snow in Jiangzhi, that southern city, in winter?"
Lu Yanhe: "Oh! I have to ask."
He hadn't even considered it.
Liu Bige: "...Without me, it would be a miracle if you could even make this movie."
Lu Yanhe said, "That's why I said I absolutely had to get your help."
"Hehe," Liu Bige said, "I don't direct my own films, I come here to be your cinematographer."
“Not just the director of photography,” Lu Yanhe immediately said, “you are also one of the producers, and you have a responsibility to make this film a good one.”
"Go to hell with you, you tricked me into this pirate ship by force."
"We're already up here, why do you care how we got here?" Lu Yanhe had already thickened his skin.
-
On the way to Jiangzhi with his photography team, Liu Bige was about to return to Yuming first.
He has two more days of classes.
In the second semester of junior year, although there were fewer classes than in the first semester, there were still some, unlike in senior year when there were almost no classes.
Fortunately, Lu Yanhe had almost completed all his elective course credits last semester, so this semester he only has the pressure of required courses.
When Lu Yanhe returned to school, Miao Yue complained to him, "You took Liu Bige over there, and now you've come back yourself."
Lu Yanhe said, "After class, I'll take you there and let you have a couple of days to play in Jiangzhi."
Upon hearing this, Miao Yue immediately burst into laughter.
"This is acceptable."
Lu Yanhe asked Miao Yue, "How's the script for Liu Bige's movie coming along?
Miao Yue said, "It's because we wanted you to be the lead actor that we revised the script several times. I wasn't satisfied with it myself, let alone showing it to him. Sigh, I've never written a spy drama before. Even though Liu Bige wrote the story himself, it's still very difficult to turn it into a script. I always have a hard time finding the right expression."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Then how about we collaborate with another screenwriter? If you're not good at this."
Miao Yue said, "Anyway, he still has to film Li Zhibai's movie in the second half of the year, so there's no rush. I'll just torture myself first. If I really can't get it right, then I'll find outside help."
Lu Yanhe: "You're challenging yourself."
“Yes, of course I want to challenge myself.” Miao Yue said frankly, “I am a professional Chinese literature major, and I do not allow myself to ask others for help every time I encounter a problem.”
Lu Yanhe gave Miao Yue a thumbs up.
"You're amazing."
Miao Yue: "You're amazing. You wrote this script in no time. You're practically a tentacle monster."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
Miao Yue asked curiously, "Yan He, I'm really curious, how can you come up with so many stories? Every time I see that you've released a new work, I feel hopeless. Compared to you, I feel like I'm wasting my time."
“If you say that, I bet a lot of people will want to punch you,” Lu Yanhe said bluntly. “I’ve written a lot of screenplays, but none of the films I’ve written have won the Jury Prize at an international film festival.”
With this prestigious award, Miao Yue has already achieved a remarkable accomplishment as a screenwriter. She herself has stated that many film companies have approached her with projects they wish to hire her as a screenwriter for. However, Miao Yue is a very meticulous and patient person, and also felt she lacked sufficient experience in screenwriting, so she declined all offers.
Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, if you can write the script for a spy movie before you graduate from university, your creative speed is not slow at all. Two movies in four years."
Miao Yue: "It depends on who you compare yourself to. Compared to you, it's just a waste of time and energy."
Lu Yanhe laughed loudly.
Miao Yue said, "My novel will also begin serialization in 'Jump Up' magazine."
“Yes, I saw it,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ve already read the first three chapters. I didn’t expect you to write a story that takes place in ancient times.”
"Because I wanted to write a story that was completely different from the one I knew, I had to set it in ancient times," Miao Yue said.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"I'll be satisfied if I can finish both the novel and the screenplay this year," Miao Yue said. "I'll graduate next year and then go on to graduate school, which will probably make me even busier."
"Are you staying at this university to pursue a master's degree?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Miao Yue said, "I haven't decided yet. I don't know whether to go to Yuming or stay in Zhenhua."
Are you likely to be accepted into a graduate program without taking the entrance exam?
“Sure, my grades are in the top 10%, so I’ll definitely get a chance.” Miao Yue said frankly. “Actually, there’s another option, which is to study for a master’s degree abroad. I’m also thinking about whether to study in the UK, because I’m also very interested in British literature. If I can live and study in a completely different context, I think it would be a very interesting experience.”
Lu Yanhe said, "My roommate is going to the UK for a year of exchange. Why do you all want to go to the UK so much?"
“I have to go to a country with cultural and historical heritage. Otherwise, should I go to the United States? I hate that country; it’s prosperous but also vain,” Miao Yue said.
Lu Yanhe smiled noncommittally.
Everyone has their own opinion.
However, Britain is indeed a country that will interest many people who are interested in history and culture.
Have you discussed this matter with Liu Bige?
"We've discussed it; he's okay with me going anywhere."
"If you go to England, you and him will be in a long-distance relationship. Don't you mind?"
“He said that if I go to study in the UK, he will also come to the UK after he finishes making the film,” Miao Yue said. “He is already very familiar with Europe.”
“That’s true.” Liu Bige himself had returned from France.
Liu Bige said that he is also familiar with the British side. Basically, the European film and television industry is quite familiar with each other, and there is a sense of mutual support among them.
Lu Yanhe: "Anyway, you haven't figured out yet whether you'll definitely become a writer in the future."
“Hmm.” Miao Yue nodded. “Well… I feel that in this day and age, it’s quite difficult for a writer to live a wealthy life, and I don’t want to live a life of poverty.”
"Poor? Your novel 'Late Spring' sold over 100,000 copies in its reprint alone, and you've been receiving profit sharing from the movie. How could you be poor?"
"This is only for the next year or two. What about five years or ten years?" Miao Yue said. "It's too unstable. We're living on the edge."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
Miao Yue's thoughts on this matter were indeed quite different from Lu Yanhe's, and of course, it was normal for her to think this way.
Miao Yue said, "Let's see. Anyway, I have several years to figure out what I want to do."
"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.
Miao Yue laughed again: "Moreover, this novel that is being serialized in 'Jump Up' might become a super bestseller."
Lu Yanhe: "I'm really looking forward to it."
-
During the two days he was back at school, Lu Yanhe went out for a meal with his roommates.
It was truly the second semester of their junior year. Everyone was making decisions about their future. Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that all of his roommates would ultimately choose to pursue graduate studies.
It was at this time that Lu Yanhe learned that Xiao Jing had ultimately broken up with his girlfriend Han Sha because of his exchange program in England.
It's heartbreaking.
Xiao Jing said, "By the time I return from England, you will all have graduated."
Zhou Mukai: "I'm still in Yuming."
Mao Jiayang also said, "I'm still in Yuming."
Lu Yanhe: "Me too."
Xiao Jing: "..."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "When you come back, we'll give you a welcome-back feast."
Xiao Jing: "Then it's a deal, don't go back on your word."
"Whoever breaks their promise will have to pay the bill by sending a red envelope in the group chat."
"No, what if I'm filming?" Lu Yanhe suddenly realized a problem.
"Then consider it breaking your promise."
"..." Lu Yanhe.
-
After Lu Yanhe finished eating with everyone, they went back to the dormitory together.
Mao Jiayang hooked his arm around Lu Yanhe's neck and said, "Are you going to Jiangzhi again tonight?"
"Yes, I need to scout locations with the photography team tomorrow."
Mao Jiayang: "Busy."
The four of them walked downstairs to the dormitory building, and to Lu Yanhe's surprise, one of them was already waiting for him.
It's Wang Xiao.
"Senior?" Lu Yanhe looked at him with some surprise.
Wang Xiao saw him and waved with a smile.
Mao Jiayang and the others went back first.
Wang Xiao said to Lu Yanhe, "Have you been very busy lately? I asked you twice before, but you weren't there."
"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded. "I've been staying in Jiangzhi these past few days, preparing for the movie I'm going to shoot."
Wang Xiao asked, "You're directing this movie yourself, hasn't that been made public yet?"
"Not yet." Lu Yanhe shook his head. "Senior, why are you waiting for me downstairs?"
Wang Xiao: "I wasn't waiting for you on purpose. I'm graduating soon and need to change dorms. My graduate dorm is in your building, so I came to check it out and just happened to see you walking by."
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised: "What a coincidence."
“Yes,” Wang Xiao said. “So I wanted to ask you if I could leave my things with you for a while during the summer vacation. I’m going away from Yuming during the summer vacation, but I can’t move my things to the new dormitory in advance.”
Lu Yanhe immediately nodded and said, "Sure. Do you have a lot of stuff? I won't be in Yuming this summer, so I'll make room for you in my bed. You can put all your things on my bed first."
Wang Xiao nodded and said, "That's enough. I just need to find a place to put some of my things in my dorm room."
"Where are you going this summer vacation?" Lu Yanhe asked him.
Wang Xiao said, "I'm planning to go to Australia with Miao Miao. We're having a student summer camp there, which will last about a month."
Lu Yanhe nodded. "That's quite interesting."
Wang Xiao: "It's a pity, we thought you would go."
"Me? I don't even know what this is, but I wasn't going anyway, I have to film this summer."
“You basically spend every winter and summer vacation filming on set,” Wang Xiao said. “You’re a model worker.”
Lu Yanhe: "Don't talk about me. When have you ever actually rested during your holidays?"
Wang Xiao focused all his attention on the Youth Association.
Even during winter and summer vacations, he wasn't allowed to rest for a single moment.
They stood downstairs in the dormitory building and chatted for a while.
Wang Xiao suddenly asked, "Yan He, wasn't there a movie that they approached you and Miao Miao to act in before? She told me that she almost went on to act in a movie."
Lu Yanhe said, "Yes, we were approached for a role before, but it didn't happen for some reason."
Wang Xiao: "So it's true."
"What's wrong?" Lu Yanhe asked. "Do you think it's fake?"
"No, it's just that I was a little surprised because she said that the director was chasing after her and begging her to play the female lead, but she wasn't interested and refused many times," Wang Xiao said. "I saw in the news that many actors are fighting tooth and nail for the female lead role, so I found it a bit unbelievable."
Lu Yanhe: "It's true. She even mistook that director for a hooligan."
Wang Xiao laughed in astonishment.
Lu Yanhe also smiled.
“That’s how this industry is. If a director takes a liking to you, you’re a darling of fate. If you don’t have that opportunity, you can only fight and wait,” Lu Yanhe said. “But if she wants to act, wants to play the leading role, it’s just a matter of saying a word.”
"Huh?" Wang Xiao looked at Lu Yanhe with some surprise. "You mean, if she wants to act, you can find her a leading actress anytime?"
“Me? I don’t have that ability.” Lu Yanhe shook his head.
"Then why is it that if she wants to act, she only has the ability to say one sentence?" Wang Xiao asked, puzzled.
Lu Yanhe said, "The Northern Lights Video belongs to her family. Her father is the owner of the Northern Lights Video, didn't you know?"
Wang Xiao stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his face filled with astonishment.
Thus, Lu Yanhe realized that Wang Xiao genuinely didn't know.
"..."
Why didn't Lin Miaomiao tell Wang Xiao about this?
Zheng Huai-ren accompanied Lin De-sheng to an industry forum and they walked out, with the others following behind them.
Lin Desheng's keynote speech at the forum, titled "How Can Long Dramas Break Through the Short Video Onslaught?", resonated with many attendees and was very effective.
This article was personally written by Zheng Huai-ren for Lin Desheng.
Zheng Huai-ren, all smiles, said to Lin Desheng, "President Lin, just now, your every move on stage was so calm and composed, but President He from Bingyuan didn't look too pleased."
Lin Desheng waved his hand, completely ignoring Zheng Huai'ren's comment, and instead asked, "How's the 'power-building plan' that Chen Siqi and the others were preparing, which you brought over before, coming along?"
"The recruitment notice will be issued soon," Zheng Huai-ren said. "We've also told the new directors we've signed to actively participate in this competition and try to get into the top three."
Lin Desheng said, "If Chen Siqi's idea works well and you find a few good directors later, you should sign them as soon as possible. Don't let the people from Bingyuan beat you to it if they don't do this kind of work themselves. In particular, don't focus on promoting the directors we've signed, and end up driving all the potential people to Bingyuan."
"Don't worry, I will definitely follow your instructions and keep a close eye on those promising talents," Zheng Huai-ren said.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a meal with these two young people. Could you arrange a time for them to sit down and have a good chat?” Lin Desheng said. “Don’t underestimate them because of their young age. They make every move with great precision and have a keen eye for business. They produce products that are exactly what the market wants. We should learn from them.”
Zheng Huai-ren said, "Yes, that's what I think too. I specifically asked Jiang Zixin to work with the two of them so that Jiang Zixin could learn more. She was in charge of both 'My Own Swordsman' and 'Squid Game'."
Lin Desheng hummed in agreement.
He suddenly remembered something and looked back.
His secretary immediately understood, took two quick steps forward, and went to Lin Desheng's side.
Lin Desheng asked, "How is Miaomiao doing at school?"
The secretary said, "Miss Miao Miao had classes all day today and didn't leave the school."
Lin Desheng nodded and said, "I'll go to the school to see her first, then go back to the company."
The secretary nodded and immediately sent a message to the driver to adjust the rest of the itinerary.
Zheng Huai-ren knew that Lin Desheng doted on his daughter.
That girl has had a private driver and bodyguards since she was little; she grew up in a princess-like environment.
When it came to family matters, Zheng Huai-ren remained silent.
After Lin Desheng finished explaining to his secretary, he continued, "Mr. Lin, regarding Lu Yanhe's new film that he's currently preparing, according to the long-term cooperation agreement we signed with him, it's no longer within the scope of our cooperation. Moreover, he's now refusing investment from other film and television companies, saying that during the production stage, he won't allow any film and television companies or platforms to get involved, and he'll find a distributor after filming is finished. Should we communicate with him in advance?"
Lin Desheng retorted, "Communicate what? Distribution? When did Northern Lights start doing film distribution?"
Zheng Huai-ren was speechless.
“We don’t distribute films, but we can still secure the streaming rights for video platforms in advance,” Zheng Huai-ren said. “Almost every platform in China is vying for them.”
Lin Desheng: "You've been dealing with Yan He for so long, do you think he's the kind of person who deliberately keeps things to himself and lets others bid for them?"
Zheng Huai-ren uttered an "uh," and said, "No."
“Since you know it’s not true, it means he’s serious about not letting other parties get involved before filming is finished. What’s the point of talking to him about this now?” Lin Desheng said. “It would be more effective to send them some fruit, milk tea, and coffee after filming starts.”
Zheng Huai-ren: "..."
Lin Desheng: "Compared to his new movie, the three films you should focus on right now are 'Rouge,' 'My Own Swordsman,' and 'The Squid Game.' If you can work well on these three films, why would you worry that Lu Yanhe wouldn't want to continue working with us?"
Zheng Huai-ren: "President Lin's insight is brilliant."
“You should focus more on doing your job properly. Unlike Maxine, who’s always busy building relationships but neglecting content creation, you’ve completely put the cart before the horse,” Lin Desheng said. “What made Aurora Borealis successful? Was it through networking?”
Zheng Huai-ren: "..."
He said, "Rouge is going to the Jose Film Festival this time. Our Northern Lights is also one of the producers. Director Wang Zhong has also asked if you are free to attend."
“You can go,” Lin Desheng said. “When the film that our Northern Lights is leading is shortlisted for an international film festival, then you can ask me if I’m available.”
Zheng Huai-ren wondered, what's wrong with Lin Desheng today?
Why do I criticize him every time I say something?
Lin Desheng is not usually like this.
Zheng Huai-ren was completely baffled.
Completely bewildered, he helped Lin Desheng into the car, and only after the car drove away did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief and ask the person next to him.
"Did Mr. Lin take the wrong medicine today?"
The person next to him chuckled and reminded him, "President Lin has been really upset lately because of his daughter's dating situation."
Zheng Huai-ren suddenly realized.
I see.
-
"Miaomiao didn't tell you, maybe because she was afraid of putting pressure on you?" Lu Yanhe speculated.
They had already agreed to go their separate ways, but because Wang Xiao suddenly realized that he didn't know anything about Lin Miaomiao's family background, the two of them started wandering around the campus again.
Wang Xiao was still in a daze.
"So, she actually comes from a very wealthy family?" Wang Xiao looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise. "Then why has she never shown it in front of me?"
Compared to Lin Miaomiao, Wang Xiao's family background was extremely ordinary.
He suddenly realized that his relationship with Lin Miaomiao was that of a poor boy and a rich princess, and his heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Lu Yanhe said, "I'm not very familiar with her either, but she's not someone who likes to show off her superiority. The first time I met her, she didn't show any superiority. She is a very proud, critical, and straightforward person, but she has never used her family background to act arrogantly."
Wang Xiao took a deep breath.
My mind is a bit of a mess right now.
"Are you backing down just because Lin Miaomiao's family background is extraordinary?" Lu Yanhe looked at Wang Xiao in surprise.
“What do you mean by backing down? That’s a completely different matter. I’m shocked, shocked, and shocked again.” Wang Xiao clicked his tongue. “Suddenly, I feel immense pressure.”
Wang Xiao's face clearly showed the words "immense pressure".
Lu Yanhe could understand his feelings at this moment very well.
Just as he was about to say something, Lu Yanhe suddenly saw a familiar figure ahead.
At that moment, he was filled with shock.
What a coincidence! He and Wang Xiao were just talking about Lin Miaomiao when Lin Desheng suddenly appeared in front of them.
Lu Yanhe subconsciously turned to look at Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao, puzzled, asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Uh, the man in the dark blue suit up ahead, that's Lin Miaomiao's dad."
Wang Xiao's expression changed drastically in an instant.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
