Chapter 457 Rising Period and Choices (8,000-word update!)
Since rising to fame with "Friends", Yin Xincheng is now considered a rising star in the entertainment industry.
Besides the two Friends series, he also starred as the male lead in an idol drama, which was neither particularly successful nor unsuccessful.
His agent put in a lot of effort to secure the role in the major drama "Blossoming Scene".
These days, each company only produces a limited number of major productions each year, leading to fierce competition. For example, if Yin Xincheng wanted to star in "Blossoming Scenery," it wasn't simply a matter of him being willing to do so and receiving immediate approval. He significantly reduced his salary to secure the role; it was a considerable sacrifice, if not a complete overhaul.
Now Chen Ziliang has reappeared.
Yan Liang told Lu Yanhe about this on his phone.
He said: Yin Xincheng was too embarrassed to tell you, afraid of bothering you.
Lu Yanhe: Which production company produced the drama "Blossoming Scenery"?
Yan Liang: Shengyang.
Lu Yanhe: I have never dealt with this company, but is he now trying to withdraw from the show?
Yan Liang: There's definitely no way I can quit now.
Lu Yanhe: I'm not familiar with Shengyang, and I can't talk to them, so I can't help them much.
Yan Liang: If you don't know him, then forget it. I only heard about this from him, and when I thought it was Chen Ziliang causing trouble again, I wanted to ask you on his behalf.
Lu Yanhe asked: Are you and Yin Xincheng on good terms?
Yan Liang: Not bad.
Lu Yanhe and Yin Xincheng only interacted when filming "Friends," and they weren't very familiar with each other, let alone had any personal relationship.
Yan Liang and Yin Xincheng filmed two seasons of "Friends" together and participated in various promotional activities. With more contact, their relationship is likely to be more familiar.
If I can help, I will; if I can't, there's no need to force myself.
-
Meanwhile, Zhan Yun, who plays Li Lili in "Friends," is also having coffee and chatting with Liu Zhiyin.
Liu Zhiyin said to Zhan Yun, "I really like your role in Friends."
Zhan Yun immediately laughed and said, "All my girlfriends have told me the same thing."
“Well, the other two girls, Chen Wanqiu is more artistic and serious, while Zhou Zhixi is a bit eccentric,” Liu Zhiyin said. “Of course, they also have their own adorable qualities, but I find it easier to identify with Li Lili.”
"Li Lili is the most authentic version of most of us. She's carefree, cries, is vulnerable, cherishes her friends, and also has her own vanity," Zhan Yun said. "After acting in two seasons, I sometimes can't even distinguish between the real and the real world."
Liu Zhiyin: "How did you get the role of Li Lili in the first place?"
“The producer told me that Yan He had taken a liking to me at first sight and said that I was suitable to play Li Lili,” Zhan Yun said. “We went through several rounds of auditions at the time, and we never expected that we would be able to get the lead role.”
Liu Zhiyin nodded and said, "Nowadays, it's rare for TV dramas to dare to cast newcomers as the main characters."
“Yes,” Zhan Yun said. “Anyway, acting in Friends was like a dream, it suddenly changed my life.”
After saying that, Zhan Yun glanced at the camera in front of her and said to Liu Zhiyin, "I'm so uncomfortable. I'm being filmed no matter where I am."
Liu Zhiyin: "I wasn't used to it at first either, but after recording more shows, I felt it was okay. You don't usually appear on shows, right?"
"I rarely film reality shows," Zhan Yun replied. "I've mostly been acting before."
Zhan Yun is the actress who benefited the most from "Friends" because her character, Li Lili, was also the most popular character in the show.
After that, Zhan Yun's luck improved. She landed supporting roles in two commercial films, both of which performed well at the box office, and her performances received positive reviews. It really was luck. Generally, supporting actresses in these kinds of films are just pretty faces, requiring little acting skill and unlikely to make a splash. But perhaps Zhan Yun naturally had audience appeal, so every time she appeared in a film, she was well-received.
Her consecutive successful films and television dramas have made the market even more optimistic about her.
He's constantly getting acting offers.
Yoo Ji-eum asked, "Will Friends continue to be made indefinitely?"
“This is the current plan,” Zhan Yun said. “We are also willing to continue this story; none of us want to end the story of these people.”
-
“Okay, Zhan Yun was able to say that on our show, so we’ve definitely caught the wave of Friends’ popularity.” Li Zhenzhen said with satisfaction. “Before dinner tonight, I’ll talk to Zhixing and try to steer the conversation toward Friends. If Yan He is willing to talk more about this topic, the audience will definitely want to see it.”
The assistant director nodded.
"However, Yan He has basically said everything he needed to say about the show 'Friends,' so saying anything more would just be repeating the same old things." Someone wondered, "What else is there to talk about?"
“Even if it’s the same old thing, the audience is willing to listen,” Li Zhenzhen said. “It’s been two years since Friends aired, and Yan He’s character is still mentioned from time to time. The audience still recognizes the six-person group from the first season. In the past, Yan He talked more about the sequel and about the production, but rarely about the character he played, or his views on the show, the story, and the characters. There is so much to talk about.”
"It's true, Yan He seems to have never talked about Friends from the perspective of a screenwriter."
For the production team, while they try their best not to interfere with the guests' performance in front of the camera, it is impossible for them to completely refrain from providing guidance.
The audience will definitely guide the guests on what content they want to see and what they are interested in.
As for what they say, that's their own business.
-
Peng Zhixing has always served as a "guide" in this program.
If the production team wants everyone to talk about certain topics or has any specific arrangements, they will communicate with Peng Zhixing, who will then guide the discussion.
In this respect, Peng Zhixing and the directing team have already worked together very well.
The other members are aware of this as well, so they generally cooperate with Peng Zhixing's topics.
However, the production team did not expect that Peng Zhixing would refuse them this time.
"I can't steer Yan He to talk about 'Friends'," Peng Zhixing said frankly. "As you all know, 'Friends' is a bit of a sensitive topic for Yan He."
The production team did not expect Peng Zhixing to reject them outright.
"We're just bringing up the topic. If Yan He doesn't want to talk about it, he can simply stay out of it," the production team said. "We won't force him to participate in the discussion."
Peng Zhixing said, "But when we all talk about this show, he doesn't join in, which is strange, isn't it? Haven't you noticed? We've been recording for three days now, and when we're all together, unless Yan He brings up 'Friends' himself, no one else mentions the show?"
The directing team: "..."
That's true.
Peng Zhixing: "Everyone had the same idea, including the people from 'Friends.' They didn't bring up 'Friends' with Yan He, so how could I?"
Peng Zhixing's words surprised the production team.
This is truly unexpected.
However, they couldn't force Peng Zhixing to do it if he wasn't willing.
The production team had no choice but to give up.
Of course, they were still somewhat frustrated.
Everyone knows this is a tipping point.
Friends is so popular that it has generated a lot of discussion. After two seasons, many parts of the show have been brought up and discussed again.
If Lu Yanhe could respond to netizens' interpretations from the perspective of the lead actor and screenwriter, it would definitely attract attention.
However, Lu Yanhe did not mention "Friends" until the end of the first phase of recording.
This marks the end of the first time the six members of Friends appeared together on the show.
-
"Where are you going?" Lu Yanhe asked Li Zhibai and Yan Liang.
Li Zhibai said, "I'm going to Hongcheng; I have a job there."
Yan Liang said, "I'm also going to Jiangguang to meet with Director Chen Mofan and talk about the upcoming filming of 'The Summit'."
"What is Director Shen doing in Jiangguang now?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously. "After the release of 'My Home I Haven't Been Back For a Long Time,' I thought his next project would be a movie, but I didn't expect him to suddenly take on the TV series 'The Summit.'"
Yan Liang said, "I didn't expect it either. I heard that he and Zhang Chi, the producer of our show, have been good friends for many years. He had already promised Zhang Chi that he would direct the show."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Then I'll be going back to Yuming alone." Lu Yanhe said helplessly, "I thought I could go back with one of you."
Li Zhibai: "Anyway, we'll be coming back to record this show again after a while."
"Hmm, Yan Liang, you stopped coming from the second stage?" Lu Yanhe asked.
When filming for "The Summit" was about to begin, Yan Liang said that he wouldn't be able to finish recording the entire season of "The Days of Youth".
Yan Liang said, "I can still come for the second phase, but I can't for the third phase of filming. Our film 'The Summit' will start filming at the end of September."
"Where is this drama being filmed? We'll come visit the set when we have time," Li Zhibai said.
“Jiang Guang,” Yan Liang said, “I don’t know if you’ll come, but Yan He will definitely come. Si Qi is there.”
Lu Yanhe smiled and pursed his lips.
They broke up on the set of the show.
Lu Yanhe got into his nanny car, ready to go back to the hotel, pack up, rest for the night, and return to Yuming tomorrow.
On the way, he suddenly received a call from Jiang Yuqian.
"Hey, Sister Yuqian." Lu Yanhe laughed.
Jiang Yuqian asked, "What are you doing?"
"I just finished recording 'The Days of Youth,' and I'm on my way back to the hotel," Lu Yanhe said. "What's up? Is there something you need?"
"Yes, I wanted to ask you when you plan to shoot the movie 'The Telephone'? I received a script and it's scheduled to start filming at the end of the year. I'll see if I can take it. If the filming schedule clashes, I'll have to turn it down."
Lu Yanhe said, "Sister Ziyan is still helping me communicate with various film companies about the script for 'Telephone,' and I don't know the specific details yet."
He added, "You can answer it first. The production team for 'The Telephone' needs to be assembled, so it won't be quick. Filming definitely won't start by the end of this year."
Jiang Yuqian said, "Okay, then I'll take that role first."
Lu Yanhe asked curiously, "What kind of play is it?"
Jiang Yuqian: "A sequel to 'Behind the Golden Robe'."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe sat up straight immediately.
Jiang Yuqian was puzzled by the "Huh?" and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the movie?"
Lu Yanhe never expected that this movie would come full circle and end up with Jiang Yuqian again.
"Well, Director Zhou Changying came to me a few days ago and asked if I would be willing to invest."
Jiang Yuqian said, "Oh, I see. Did you vote?"
"No," Lu Yanhe said. "Many people have told me to avoid working with this director and to have as little contact with her as possible, so I refused."
Jiang Yuqian was taken aback.
"Sister Yuqian, why do you want to take on the sequel to 'Behind the Golden Robe'?"
“I went to see the movie, and I thought it was pretty good. Plus, the reviews were pretty good, and it's already grossed almost 40 million. The sequel script offered me a role as the female lead. You know, apart from the movie you offered me for, ‘The Telephone,’ I basically don’t get any serious female lead roles these days. The roles offered to me are mostly just decorative ones.”
Lu Yanhe understood what Jiang Yuqian meant.
Actually, if it weren't for Zhou Changying's actions, Lu Yanhe felt that the sequel to "Behind the Golden Robe" would have been a really good project for Jiang Yuqian. The film itself was indeed well-made, and judging from the first one currently showing, Zhou Changying is a very good director when it comes to actors. If Jiang Yuqian hadn't been misled and the role she was given was truly a well-rounded female lead, the sequel to "Behind the Golden Robe" would have been the best project Jiang Yuqian could get at the moment.
Jiang Yuqian asked, "Is there something wrong with director Zhou Changying?"
“The problems I heard weren’t really related to the actors or the content; they were mostly production-related,” Lu Yanhe said. “That won’t affect your decision to take this role.”
Jiang Yuqian was somewhat surprised and asked, "You refused to invest in this film, but do you still think it's worth it for me to act in it?"
“I refused to invest because she was using my willingness to invest to deceive others. Putting that aside, I actually quite liked the movie ‘Behind the Golden Coat.’ It was indeed well-made, using a small story to illustrate a larger point,” Lu Yanhe said.
“Okay, I’m relieved to hear that,” Jiang Yuqian said.
-
Jiang Yuqian's phone call reminded Lu Yanhe that he didn't know where the progress of the two movies, "You Are the Apple of My Eye" and "Telephone," was.
The pressure from the film "Love Letter" led Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan to decide to adjust their strategy. They opted to keep the copyright in their own hands while collaborating with other companies on production and distribution. This way, they could save themselves a lot of trouble and avoid the pain of trying to achieve too much at once.
Chen Ziyan said, "The script for 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' has made everyone a bit cautious because all the youth romance movies released this year have flopped. Even if you are the screenwriter, because the copyright has to be kept in our own hands, and your screenwriting fee is not low, I don't think the conditions offered by various companies are very good. We are still negotiating."
“The problem with the ‘Telephone’ project is that the two female leads, Jiang Yuqian and Wang Jing, are not favored by them,” Chen Ziyan said. “Our premise for cooperating with others is that the film must use these two actresses as the female leads. The production company basically has no room to interfere, and the investment share is so small.”
To put it bluntly, Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan are facing a dilemma of "wanting both".
They want to keep the copyright, take a share of the investment, and even assign the main actors. It's like they're just looking for a contractor for the production and distribution. The risks are too high, and the profit margins are too small.
Lu Yanhe said, "We only retain the rights to other derivative works and sequels of the story. The revenue from the film rights is still shared according to the investment ratio, right?"
“It’s the same for them, there’s not much difference,” Chen Ziyan said. “These projects aren’t the kind that gross over 1 billion or 2 billion yuan at the box office. Their target box office is in the range of 200 to 500 million yuan. Their profit margin is too small, but they have to bear the huge risk of the film failing.”
What Chen Ziyan said is indeed a big problem.
Unless they are willing to give up the copyright and only retain a certain share of the investment, there will be many more film companies willing to take over.
Chen Ziyan: "There's another way."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
“Let’s acquire a production company,” Chen Ziyan said. “That way, we can produce our own movies.”
Why did Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan find the previous drama "Love Letter" so overwhelming? Because they needed to build every single person and department in the production team. Creating something from scratch is actually very difficult and exhausting.
If they have an established production company, then many things are readily available and mature.
Lu Yanhe said, "Acquiring a production company must require a lot of money, right?"
“Acquiring a company capable of independently shooting and producing films would definitely require a significant amount of money. Let’s not even talk about large production companies; even for small to medium-sized companies with 30 to 50 employees, it would cost at least 300 to 500 million yuan. We certainly couldn’t do it on our own. Production companies priced below that wouldn’t meet our requirements; acquiring one would just make it a decoration,” Chen Ziyan said. “However, in the long run, it would be very beneficial for us. We could produce many films and television dramas ourselves, instead of constantly negotiating and bargaining with various companies like we are now.”
“If we can’t achieve this on our own, then we can’t accomplish it,” Lu Yanhe said.
Chen Ziyan said, "There is a way."
"Um?"
“We can raise funds to acquire the production company by investing in other capital,” Chen Ziyan said. “After our Linghe Film and Television Production Company was established, quite a few investment institutions and funds were interested in us. Several of them came to talk to me, but I had temporarily refused them all because our company didn’t have any works released at the time, so their asking price couldn’t be high. However, with the success of the movie ‘Lost in Thailand,’ Linghe’s valuation has increased a lot, not to mention that it also has two shows, ‘My Own Swordsman’ and ‘The Squid Game,’ as well as the movie ‘Rouge.’ We can offer a portion of our shares in exchange for the cash flow we urgently need.”
Lu Yanhe didn't know much about business. However, he also knew that if a company wanted to grow big and strong, it would be difficult to overtake others by relying solely on initial accumulation.
Either Lu Yanhe should stop focusing on production and continue to prioritize acting, with production as a secondary focus, or if he truly wants to own his own production company and produce films and television dramas, accepting external investment is inevitable. Acquisition is only the first step; filming will also require substantial funds. The value of Linghe Film and Television Production Company, which Lu Yanhe is collaborating with Chen Ziyan, lies not in production and distribution, but in the copyrights to the films and television dramas Lu Yanhe has created. Without these copyrights, it's just a shell company, an empty shell.
Lu Yanhe fell into deep thought.
Nobody wants to be the fool who suffers a loss.
Other film companies were also unwilling to become tools for Lu Yanhe and his group, making movies for them without owning the copyrights, as they wouldn't get much benefit and would have to share the risks.
The current situation is not actually an unsolvable problem.
It's a multiple-choice question.
The choice is to do nothing, temporarily abandon all plans, and slowly accumulate strength.
Alternatively, they might choose to take a step back and not retain the copyright to the film or television series, but instead participate in the project production as a screenwriter or lead actor.
Alternatively, as Chen Ziyan just mentioned, they could accept investment from others, exchange equity for cash, take a big step, purchase a production company, and change Linghe Film and Television's current positioning and basic structure.
-
Seeing Chen Ziyan hang up the phone, Lu Qingzhen put down her chopsticks, took a sip of wine, and asked with a smile, "Why did you suddenly start talking to Yan He about financing again?"
“It’s not about raising funds, but about giving him this option,” Chen Ziyan said. “To be honest, how far Yan He will go in the future is beyond my ability to plan. Do you understand how I feel? He’s only a senior in college, he hasn’t even graduated yet, but his career has already reached a point where I can’t guarantee his future. So, I can only give him more options, and he can decide for himself how to choose.”
“If you let him make the decision himself, he might not be able to do it.” Lu Qingzhen said, both amused and exasperated.
Chen Ziyan said, "He has to learn to make decisions. Sigh, the main thing is that it depends on what he wants to do. No matter what he chooses, there are always paths to take. I can't say for sure which path will lead him to greater heights. It's better to let him figure out for himself what he truly wants."
Lu Qingzhen countered, "Ziyan, have you ever considered taking a step further beyond your role as a manager?"
"You know, if it were necessary to take those two steps, I would have done it a long time ago."
“Things are different now,” Lu Qingzhen said. “You yourself said that you’ve never met an artist like Lu Yanhe before. The heights his career will reach are beyond your current imagination, aren’t they? In that case, why not take a few more steps forward with him?”
Chen Ziyan fell silent.
Lu Qingzhen said, "You put the choice in his hands because you subconsciously feel that you won't be a part of his more glorious future, right?"
Lu Qingzhen's words struck a chord with Chen Ziyan.
Chen Ziyan cannot deny this.
"I--"
"Whether it's Shang Yongzhou or Chen Bige, you've given yourself a thousand, ten thousand reasons to part ways with them—different pursuits, different stages, different ideals. To put it bluntly, you're actually afraid that one day..." Lu Qingzhen stopped mid-sentence, her words tumbling out Chen Ziyan's deepest concern, "You're afraid of affecting them, you're afraid they'll look at you with prejudice, so you'd rather part amicably at the best possible time. But you know Lu Yanhe's situation better than anyone. Would he even mind?"
Chen Ziyan took a deep breath.
Lu Qingzhen said, "If you really intend to break up with Lu Yanhe like you did with Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige, then I advise you to give him a heads-up as soon as possible. This kid is more sentimental than you think. He is still living with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, and he is willing to record the fourth season of 'Young Days.' His many actions prove this point. Your amicable breakup may not be seen as a form of abandonment by him."
Chen Ziyan clenched her hands.
"It's too early to say these things now."
“Is it too early? I don’t think it’s too early. It’s only a matter of time before he reaches the top.” Lu Qingzhen looked at Chen Ziyan seriously. “You’d better think it through sooner rather than later.”
Good medicine tastes bitter, and so do good words.
Chen Ziyan knew that Lu Qingzhen's words had hit the nail on the head.
She may deny it verbally, but she can't deny it in her heart.
"If Chen Pinhe really is his biological father, what do you plan to do?" Lu Qingzhen suddenly asked again.
-
Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi discussed it seriously for a long time.
Instead of offering advice to his concerns, Chen Siqi asked, "Is it urgent to establish a company capable of independently producing film and television dramas?"
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "It's not that urgent."
"It sounds to me that the reason you made this choice is because neither 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' nor 'Telephone' were as popular as you initially expected, right?" Chen Siqi said. "There aren't many other film companies willing to take over the projects under the conditions you envisioned."
"right."
Chen Siqi: "That's what I'm wondering about. If you're not in a hurry to make these films, why make a choice now? Whether you make them yourself or have someone else do them, the market now will definitely be different from the market next year. 'Lost in Thailand' is just the first one. If 'My Own Swordsman' and 'The Squid Game' become hits as you predicted, will the prices offered now be the same as the prices offered next year or the year after?"
Lu Yanhe immediately understood what Chen Siqi meant.
“First, your company isn’t short of money. Second, Linghe Film and Television Production Company was established from the beginning to act as the copyright holder of your scripts, making it easier for you to participate in the production of every project,” Chen Siqi said. “If you can’t find a production company for ‘Those Years’ and ‘Telephone’ for the time being, just leave them for now and find one slowly. Anyway, they’re just scripts right now, so they won’t cause you any losses. Once you finish the ‘Love Letter’ project, you’ll have a team you’ve worked with before and experience in making a film. At that time, you can either find someone else to direct these projects or, after you’ve rested up, direct them yourself. In my opinion, this isn’t the time to make a choice right now.”
Lu Yanhe seemed to be deep in thought.
Chen Siqi: "Like how I've always wanted to publish the 'Jump Up' Mook overseas, it's been so long, but there hasn't been any substantial progress. There's nothing to rush about. Just keep this plan in mind, and keep trying and finding ways. Your foundation in the entertainment industry isn't screenwriting or producing; your most important identity is acting. Without your achievements as an actor, even if you're a famous screenwriter, you wouldn't have the conditions and treatment you have now. But if you were to seriously run a production company now, to be honest, you were recently overwhelmed by the amount of work, the complexity, and the excessive pressure, and you were extremely anxious."
Chen Siqi's meaning is already very clear.
She didn't want Lu Yanhe to take too big a step now.
It's mainly unnecessary.
Why take risks when you can reach the top by taking steady and methodical approaches?
Out of personal consideration, Chen Siqi also hoped that Lu Yanhe wouldn't be too busy or too tired, and that he wouldn't repeat the incident of being under too much pressure and losing control of his expression.
Chen Siqi: "Look at the team behind 'Jump Up,' they were built up slowly, expanding and developing little by little. Although the speed was a bit slow, at least every step was under their control. You may not have heard, but Yu Jiang's e-magazine 'Star!' has already encountered internal infighting problems."
"Huh? What happened?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Siqi said, "Yu Jiang also wanted to imitate our 'Jump Up' and create a self-media platform. He wanted to work on various platforms and recruited a lot of people. However, because it was a newly established team, each person was responsible for their own tasks. As a result, they were fighting over advertising, authors, and space... There was serious infighting. Zixing's former colleague told her about this privately. 'Star!' is currently in a mess. It is said that it has not yet broken even. Yemai.com is losing money every issue."
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had heard about this.
"This is really—"
"You've shot yourself in the foot," Chen Siqi continued. "Putting aside everything else, you've seen the results of this rapid expansion. Even with money and manpower, it doesn't mean you can work as a team. A team without team spirit and without control is just a disorganized mess that will only cause you trouble."
After listening to Chen Siqi's explanation, Lu Yanhe had an idea.
Capital has its own rules, but he has never mastered them. From the day he was born, he has always adhered to the belief of being honest and taking things one step at a time, steadily and surely reaching where he is today.
Chen Siqi is absolutely right. No one can predict the future, but at least for now, he can be more relaxed, take his time, and hold the initiative for a longer period. He's on the rise, and the further he goes, the more leverage he'll accumulate.
(End of this chapter)
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