Chapter 504 The Dust Settles (9,000-word update!)
"The copyright has been purchased." That day, Chen Ziyan told Lu Yanhe, "The author immediately agreed as soon as he heard that you wanted to adapt it into a film or television series."
Chen Ziyan was referring to the post on Yemai.com that Hu Siwei had his eye on.
Lu Yanhe asked, "When should we talk to Hu Siwei about this?"
“You don’t need to show up first, I’ll go,” Chen Ziyan said. “I’m going to be upfront with him and tell him that we’re willing to do the projects that Beijing and Taiwan don’t want to do, as long as he comes here.”
Lu Yanhe asked, "Will he come over then?"
“It’s difficult, it shouldn’t be that easy,” Chen Ziyan said. “We can’t poach Hu Siwei overnight. This is just extending an olive branch to show our sincerity. In fact, the key is to make Hu Siwei truly lose heart towards Beijing-Taiwan and be willing to leave.”
"Sister Ziyan, what are you planning to do?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously.
Chen Ziyan said, "I'm not just planning to do it, I'm already doing it."
She gave Lu Yanhe a smile that held a lot of meaning.
Lu Yanhe didn't know what Chen Ziyan had done, but the smile on her face made him realize that it probably wasn't anything good.
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"Hu Siwei really should have found a new leader to serve. If he had served under Director Jiang, things would be completely different now."
"Back then, the 'Friends' project was initiated by Hu Siwei and had nothing to do with Xu Tai, you know? Although now everyone says that Xu Tai had a keen eye and chose this project, that's not the case at all."
"That's such a pity. Xu Tai didn't get all the credit. I heard he's been wanting to take over Shen Tai's position after he retires."
"Looking at it now, it seems like Chiang Tai still has a better chance. With the failure of Friends, we only have the Seventeen Floors series left. It's such a pity. Our station originally had two ace series. We could have lived off those two series for many years."
"Friends is so bad, who can we blame? I'm speechless. They brought in someone from abroad to be the director, who doesn't understand the situation in our country at all. He just made a mess of things, turning it into a garbage show about sex everywhere. Who's going to watch it? Does he really think we'd buy this kind of stuff in China?"
...
Several girls came out of the break room, talking as they went.
As soon as they came out, they unexpectedly ran into Hu Siwei. Their expressions immediately changed, their smiles vanished, and they scattered like birds and beasts.
Hu Siwei walked into the tea room expressionlessly, but her mind was replaying what they had just said.
Actually, those girls didn't say anything negative about him. In fact, he often heard such conversations in Beijing and Taiwan recently, praising his abilities, regretting that he had encountered a leader like Xu Bin, and feeling sorry for him—that he had followed the wrong person.
The problem isn't with these contents, but with what we've been hearing about frequently lately.
Hu Siwei worked his way up from the bottom in Beijing and Taiwan. He's a pragmatist, but that doesn't mean he's ignorant of interpersonal relationships, the workplace dynamics, and prevailing trends. If he didn't, he wouldn't have reached his current position. Hu Siwei is worried that these trends are blowing too strong and will eventually reach Xu Bin's ears, or rather, they've already reached Xu Bin's ears.
Given Xu Bin's personality, what would he think?
Hu Siwei didn't need to think too much to know what Xu Bin would think.
His relationship with Xu Bin was already very bad.
What will happen next?
Hu Siwei took a deep breath.
-
Although spring has arrived, the city is still dominated by black, gray, and white colors, and the sprouting green shoots cannot adorn the branches that have suffered from the cold all winter.
Hu Siwei drove to the coffee shop called "Spring Lane" and parked his car in a temporary parking space on the side of the road. As soon as he got out of the car, he was slapped by a strong gust of wind.
He quickened his pace, pushed open the door of "Springtime Lane," and entered the room, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"Thinking, it's been a long time." When Ma Sui from Bingyuan Video saw him come in, she stood up with a smile, greeted him, and even gave him a warm hug.
Ma Sui was also a colleague of Jingtai. She worked at Jingtai for two years before leaving.
Hu Siwei was one of the few colleagues she had a good relationship with when she was in Beijing and Taiwan.
Hu Siwei smiled and said, "Congratulations! 'Star Glory' is doing well. It should have reached an S-level rating by now, right?"
"Not bad, the average number of views per episode has exceeded 20 million." Ma Sui nodded with a smile. "Would you like a latte? Or an Americano?"
"Things have been tough lately, too bitter. I need something sweet." Hu Siwei ordered a cappuccino.
Ma Sui said, "We all know that the current situation of Friends Season 3 is not your problem."
"Let's not talk about this anymore, it hurts my heart to even mention it," Hu Siwei said jokingly.
Ma Sui smiled and nodded, "Okay, so what do you want to talk about?"
"I'd like to ask you, is it possible for the 'Flowing Light' project to be broadcast simultaneously on TV and online?" Hu Siwei said. "I know that this drama was mainly invested in by your Bingyuan and is also intended to be broadcast exclusively as one of your major dramas."
Ma Sui glanced at Hu Siwei with some surprise, and didn't come to her senses for a long time.
"Thinking, are you representing Beijing and Taiwan, and you've taken the initiative to ask us if our web series can be broadcast simultaneously on TV and online?"
For many production companies, when they make a TV series, they still want it to be broadcast on both television and online, which means they can earn more copyright fees.
However, for online video companies like Bingyuan Video, the exclusive dramas they invest in are usually sold to TV stations for broadcast after the online premiere ends, depending on the situation.
The reason for emphasizing exclusive broadcasting is, of course, because everyone knows that exclusive broadcasting can concentrate the entire market into one point, generating a greater effect.
Hu Siwei said, "Let 'The Flowing Light' premiere on TV in Beijing and Taiwan. After each episode airs on TV, one episode will be available online on your Bingyuan platform. As you know, TV ratings have almost no impact on online viewership now, and may even have a boosting effect. This will not only not affect the broadcast performance of 'The Flowing Light' on your Bingyuan video platform, but will also further expand its reach. What do you say?"
Ma Sui did not immediately give her opinion, but looked at him with considerable surprise.
“Siwei, based on what I know about you, you shouldn’t be this interested in the ‘Flowing Light’ project, right? If we approached you to sell the TV broadcasting rights, you might have been interested as a side effect. Why did you specifically ask me out to talk about this?” Ma Sui looked at Hu Siwei in surprise.
In Ma Sui's understanding, this was something Hu Siwei would never do.
Hu Siwei lowered his head and smiled slightly, saying, "The higher-ups want a big project, so I'll just bring them a big project back with me."
Upon hearing this, Ma Sui immediately sighed.
"So it was him who gave you the task."
Hu Siwei smiled.
"Are you... really planning to work under him for the rest of your life?" Ma Sui looked at him with a puzzled expression, her eyes revealing her utter incomprehension.
Hu Siwei also knew why Ma Sui was looking at him with such incomprehension.
The reason Ma Sui left Beijing TV was because she couldn't stand the interpersonal relationships and work style at the station.
Now, Ma Sui has become a well-known producer in the industry, capable of handling large-scale projects like "The Flowing Light," which involves investments of hundreds of millions of yuan. This success is not only due to catching the rapid development of the streaming media era, but also to her own ambition, drive, and hard work. Her personality is not suited to places like Beijing and Taiwan, which is why she was able to stand out in the era of the streaming media's rapid, unregulated growth.
However, Hu Siwei's personality is exactly the opposite of Ma Sui's; it's another side of the same coin.
He is cautious, prudent, and conservative, preferring to work in environments where he feels safe. All his work-related ideas require a stable platform to confidently implement. Otherwise, he'll constantly be focused on the stability of his position rather than on the work itself.
Ma Sui clearly knew him very well.
Hu Siwei remained silent.
Ma Sui: "I'm serious about your thinking. With your abilities and the connections you've built up over the years in this industry, if you're willing to leave Beijing and Taiwan, I believe you're fully capable of doing even better. The outside world is much bigger than Beijing and Taiwan, where there are only so many people and a small platform. People scheme and plot against each other to get ahead, having to consider this and that. In the end, all your hard work might be wasted because you got carried away."
Hu Siwei smiled silently.
"The domestic film and television market is still undergoing a very intense transformation. Lu Yanhe sparked the trend of short dramas and weekly broadcasts, allowing the industry to see the commercial value of this type of drama, and also taking Chinese-language dramas overseas, opening up another market. The rules of the game will be greatly adjusted in the future, and similarly, the production industry is constantly weeding out some mediocre works," Ma Sui said. "You are the driving force behind 'Friends,' which is one of the best-received Chinese dramas overseas in recent years. So far, so many attempts to imitate the success of 'Friends' and make sitcoms have all failed. As long as you come out, believe me, no platform will refuse to extend an olive branch to you."
“It’s not that easy to succeed,” Hu Siwei said softly. “Even I don’t know if I can succeed in making another sitcom. It requires the right timing, location, and people.”
"Of course, we all know that the success of a show requires the right timing, location, and people." Ma Sui nodded. "But at least you're an expert. Look, everyone in the industry calls me Sister Sui, saying I'm a top producer. But when 'Friends' was so popular, Bingyuan Video asked me to make a sitcom, but I refused. Why? Because I didn't understand it, I couldn't do it. There are too few talented people in China who can make sitcoms, and even fewer producers like you with representative works and experience. You don't know how valuable you are. Fantasy dramas, suspense dramas, romance dramas, spy dramas... To be honest, these genres don't lack producers or directors because the market is too big. Every year, a batch of people are weeded out, and it has formed such a cycle. Even now, I can't say that my next show will definitely be a hit, but I'm confident that the shows I make will definitely not be below average. I have that kind of professional confidence. It's the same for you. If you make a sitcom, maybe it won't become a phenomenon like 'Friends,' but it won't be bad."
Ma Sui's words were like a hook, catching some of Hu Siwei's thoughts.
These ideas have been brewing in my mind many times over this period of time.
-
After Ma Sui finished talking with Hu Siwei, they parted ways. After getting into her car, she called Chen Ziyan.
"Ziyan, I've completed the task you asked me to do perfectly," Ma Sui said with a smile. "But how did you know he would contact me?"
“He suddenly inquired about the ‘Flowing Light’ project these past couple of days. I guessed he might contact you, though I wasn’t sure he would,” Chen Ziyan said with a smile. “However, it turns out I was right.”
"Your information is always the most up-to-date; you even know what he's been thinking about lately."
“Of course, if I want to recruit him, I’ll have to put in some effort,” Chen Ziyan said. “Tom White will be coming to China next month, and I’ll introduce you to him then.”
"Thank you, darling." Ma Sui smiled. "However, I'm planning to cast Zhang Lan as the lead in my film 'The Flowing Light,' do you mind?"
"What do I care about?"
“After all, she was an actress you once mentored,” Ma Sui said. “I heard that your breakup wasn’t very amicable.”
“We didn’t become enemies, so let’s just leave it at that,” Chen Ziyan said. “But you’re really good at this. You know how to strike at the heart of the problem. As soon as she heard that Jiang Yuqian was also paying attention to the script for ‘The Flowing Light,’ she immediately signed an acting agreement with you.”
"You found out about this too."
“You used Jiang Yuqian as bait, of course Jiang Yuqian would notice,” Chen Ziyan said. “In this line of work, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever.”
“That makes sense.” Ma Sui suddenly noticed that raindrops were falling, and soon the windshield became foggy.
She turned on the windshield wipers and said, "Ziyan, I was also wondering when we can film a movie together with Yan He?"
Chen Ziyan said, "Oh dear, it's not that I don't want to, but as you know, Yan He doesn't have time to film long dramas right now. The dramas you do are basically over thirty episodes, and the filming time is too long."
“If Yan He is willing to star in the series, I would be very happy to tailor a short drama script for him,” Ma Sui said. “Really, as long as he is willing to come.”
Chen Ziyan: "I really can't promise you anything right now, his schedule is just too tight."
Ma Sui: "Okay."
"However, you have a good role for Minglan that you can give her. I have great confidence in the dramas you produce."
Ma Sui: "You definitely wouldn't be interested in the second female lead role in 'The Flowing Light,' and I'm too embarrassed to offer it to you. But from the platform's perspective, I'm still a little worried about letting Minglan play the lead role in a major drama. If there are any good second female lead roles or good ensemble dramas in the future, I'll send you the scripts."
"Okay," Chen Ziyan said.
“Speaking of which, the second female lead for ‘The Flowing Light’ is really a headache right now,” Ma Sui laughed. “Zhou Ping’an has been trying to send his actress Fu Li over, but her current level of fame is really not enough to carry the role of the second female lead. Unfortunately, the male lead for our drama is Yan Liang, so it wouldn’t be right not to give him that face.”
"Fuli?" Chen Ziyan laughed as soon as she heard this. "It's okay, you don't need to be the bad guy. Just pass this news on to Zhang Lan. After Zhang Lan searches for Fuli's appearance online, she will be the bad guy."
"Huh?" Ma Sui was somewhat surprised.
Chen Ziyan: "I have never seen any actress who is prettier than Zhang Lan in any of the dramas she starred in."
Ma Sui instantly understood.
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"Are you kidding me? Did they cast Tomiri as the second female lead so she could climb over me to get ahead?"
Zhang Lan complained angrily to her boyfriend and agent, Shi Zhou.
Shi Zhou had just heard the news.
He knew Fu Li too. They were both signed actresses with Xingyu Entertainment, and Shi Zhou knew Fu Li's qualities. She was known as the most beautiful young actress currently signed by Xingyu Entertainment.
It's not surprising that Zhang Lan has such concerns.
Shi Zhou said, "I'll go and negotiate with Ma Sui."
Zhang Lan: "Zhou Ping'an is the kind of person who won't give up until he gets what he wants. Even if you go to negotiate with Ma Sui, Ma Sui might not be able to stop Zhou Ping'an. Don't forget, the male lead of this drama, Yan Liang, is also an actor brought by Zhou Ping'an. Zhou Ping'an has bargaining chips in his hands - when I wanted Yan Liang to leave, Ma Sui directly said that Yan Liang was the person the investors specifically wanted."
Shi Zhou was silent for a moment, then asked, "So what do you want to do?"
Zhang Lan: "Let's give Ma Sui a reason to refuse Fu Li."
-
Hu Siwei frowned slightly.
Chen Ziyan said frankly: "To be honest, I only started paying attention to this story because I heard that you were interested in it and wanted to adapt it into a TV series. However, Beijing TV was not very interested in this adaptation plan. Indeed, I watched the whole story in one night. Once you get into it, you want to keep watching and follow along."
Sitting in a restaurant downstairs from the Jingtai Building, Chen Ziyan and Hu Siwei were not particularly noticeable.
This restaurant is a frequent haunt for celebrities, agents, producers, and directors. After all, it's located right next to Beijing and Taiwan, and most of its patrons are people in that industry.
Hu Siwei spread her hands and said, "So, you're planning to adapt it into a TV series?"
“If you were to take charge,” Chen Ziyan said frankly, “Linghe Film and Television currently does not have any film and television production talent. Our current staff are all focused on copyright operation. If you come, you will be the first person in our company to be responsible for content production.”
Chen Ziyan's implication was quite clear.
This means that as long as Hu Siwei is willing to come, he will be the first person in charge of content production at Linghe Film and Television.
The meaning is self-evident; just mentioning it briefly will make Hu Siwei understand what it signifies.
Hu Siwei: "Ziyan, Linghe is indeed a company with great potential, but it is actually just starting out. As you know, all my work experience was accumulated in Beijing and Taiwan. Every project I have done was done on such a platform. I don't have much experience doing projects in a company that is just starting out."
Hu Siwei's words were already quite tactful.
He meant that Linghe Company is just starting out and is too immature in many aspects.
That's absolutely true. The resources Hu Siwei can mobilize in Beijing and Taiwan are on a completely different level compared to the resources he can mobilize at Linghe Film and Television.
No matter how much the television station has declined, Beijing-Taiwan is still a behemoth, bigger than a horse even when it's weakened. When he works on a project there, there are well-established supporting mechanisms in place, so if any link in the chain goes wrong, he knows who to contact to resolve the issue. It's not like that in Linghe.
Especially in a film and television market with such high risks, if a project runs into problems and tens or hundreds of millions of yuan are stuck on it, the company may be paralyzed and unable to operate.
One or two hundred million yuan may seem like a large sum, but for a film and television production company, a single project could wipe out its entire investment.
This is why many small and medium-sized film and television companies ultimately cannot avoid the fate of receiving investment from large companies and platforms.
Almost no one is immune to difficulties and needs external funding to survive.
Chen Ziyan said to Hu Siwei, "Of course, but we have to look at things from both sides. Siwei, only here can you have the greatest degree of freedom. You've been in Beijing and Taiwan for so long, have you ever really made your own decisions and done a project entirely according to your own ideas?"
Hu Siwei remained silent.
Chen Ziyan knows how to strike at the heart of the problem.
She never acts recklessly, nor does she speak carelessly. Especially when necessary, almost every word and action she takes has its purpose.
Chen Ziyan said, "If this were Yan He's first or second year of writing scripts, I wouldn't be here to say these things to you, because it would be pointless. I wouldn't have the confidence or resources to persuade you to come. But in these four years, you've seen the market for Yan He's scripts and projects, and the achievements he's made. Putting aside other things, just look at Linghe Films' upcoming plans: the film 'Love Letter,' which has already been reserved by the Jose Film Festival and is a sure thing for being nominated for the main competition; the 'Squid Game' series, although it's being produced by Northern Lights, the copyright is in our own hands, and we will definitely be deeply involved in the two sequels; and then there's the main point I want to make to you today."
Hu Siwei frowned slightly, looked at Chen Ziyan, and asked, "What?"
Hu Siwei didn't know what other key points there were.
Chen Ziyan asked, "Are you satisfied with the Friends series ending so abruptly?"
-
Are you willing to accept this?
Of course I'm not willing to accept this.
How could he be willing to accept that a major series that could have become a classic has been ruined like this?
But what can you do if you're unwilling to accept it?
If you had to describe these four words in one sentence, it would be "the place is deserted."
Of the three people who originally made this show, only he remains to keep it going. With the third season receiving such terrible reviews and a fourth season practically impossible to start, what can he do?
Hu Siwei looked at Chen Ziyan in silence.
Chen Ziyan said, "If I told you that if you join Linghe, we can reboot 'Friends,' you will still be the producer, Bai Jingnian will still be the director, Lu Yanhe will still be the lead actor and screenwriter, and Yan Liang, Wen Minglan, Zhan Yun, Bai Jin, and Yin Xincheng will all return, would you seriously consider joining Linghe?"
Hu Siwei stared at Chen Ziyan in disbelief, speechless for a long time.
What are you doing—
Chen Ziyan smiled slightly.
-
Hu Siwei's mind was in turmoil.
He returned to Beijing in a daze, trying to process the news he had heard from Chen Ziyan.
It was Xu Bin's idea to resell "Friends" to Yuehu TV, and Shen Tailin signed the agreement. "Friends" has already been sold to Yuehu TV and is no longer owned by Beijing TV.
Hu Siwei was the actual person in charge of the "Friends" project, but if Chen Ziyan hadn't told him, he would still be in the dark.
His mental state completely collapsed, he lost control, and rushed into Xu Bin's office.
When confronted with his questioning, Xu Bin simply said, "This is the station's decision."
Hu Siwei wanted to ask him why the station made such a decision.
However, Xu Bin's calm, indifferent face, as if nothing had happened, hung coldly before his eyes like the moon in late autumn. Hu Siwei looked at him like this and suddenly felt deflated.
Why?
What kind of answer can we expect?
"Friends" is just an asset. For Beijing TV, it's an unprofitable asset. Now that Yuehu TV is willing to spend money to buy it to fill the gap left by the third season of "Friends," why shouldn't the higher-ups at Beijing TV be happy?
Hu Siwei suddenly realized, upon seeing Xu Bin's calm face, a fact that Xu Bin had known all along but had been unwilling to admit:
Here, he is the only one who has poured his heart and soul into the Friends series beyond monetary gain. Or rather, he is the only one still thinking about whether it is possible to salvage it and revive Friends.
Why did Xu Bin and the others ignore his objections when the third season of Friends was ruined and messed up?
Because they never understood why Friends was popular with audiences. Nor did they intend to. It was just a money-making machine anyway; if it stopped making money, they'd just take it off the air.
Hu Siwei walked out of Xu Bin's office, looking dejected.
He sat in his office for a long time, until the sun set and night fell like an ocean engulfing the world.
When he awoke as if from a dream, he saw a high moon hanging in the sky outside the window, far away on the horizon.
As night falls, Yuming is also ablaze with color, ablaze with lights, and shimmering with shadows.
Only the bright moon watches over this mortal world from afar.
He wanted to ask the moon, "The nights on earth are already so bright, why do you continue to stay in the sky, shining coldly and alone?"
The world no longer needs you.
He didn't ask.
Because Mingyue won't reply to him.
-
The following day, the program "Film and Television Critics" was officially announced on Yuehu TV.
Yuehu TV, in collaboration with the "Jump Up" team, has created a brand-new film and television review program. "We will use the most incisive viewpoints, the most authentic attitudes, and the freshest information to interpret the current state of Chinese-language films and television for you."
The program features a resident panel of critics consisting of Lin Yu, chief film critic of "Jump Up"; Guan Suchen, a well-known entertainment critic in China; Chen Shu, a film critic from "Tomorrow Daily"; and Chen Miao, the chief writer of "Dream Back to Qing Dynasty". In addition, the program will be 15 minutes long each day and will also contact famous film critics from other countries around the world from time to time to interpret the latest Chinese film and television works and bring news, commentary and reports.
The news itself didn't attract much attention, since, apart from Guan Suchen who gained attention for frequently posting comments on his personal social media, the other three of the four resident commentators weren't particularly well-known to the public.
However, this commentary program was officially announced and shared by dozens of celebrities, including Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, Huang Kairen, Jiang Yuqian, Peng Zhixing, and Liu Zhiyin. It even had a stronger promotional lineup than a movie that was about to be released, which caused quite a stir.
This program, which seems to have no direct connection with Lu Yanhe, reveals itself the moment it appears that it is inextricably linked to him.
Yuehutai and Lu Yanhe have indeed joined hands in cooperation.
This is no longer a signal; it's a fact.
Just then, an even more explosive piece of news broke: Yuehu TV was very likely to take over "Friends" and reboot the series.
Compared to "Film Critic," the news about "Friends" is certainly more eye-catching.
A single match ignited the entire wilderness.
Some say that Yuehu TV spent nine figures to buy the remake rights to "Friends".
Some say that Yuehu TV pressured its leaders behind the scenes, forcing Beijing TV to resell "Friends" to them.
Some people say that the third season of Friends suffered a huge ratings failure, and that Beijing TV suffered huge losses on the project and needed to sell it to make up for the deficit.
All sorts of rumors, reliable and unreliable, seem to make sense but are obviously impossible to be true, and they're flying around everywhere.
It wasn't until Yuehu TV and Beijing TV jointly issued a statement that things changed. The statement included the following: Yuehu TV acquired the production rights to "Friends" from Beijing TV, and Beijing TV would act as a copyright partner, sharing the subsequent revenue. In short, Yuehu TV did indeed obtain the production rights to "Friends," but the copyright still belonged to Beijing TV. However, how Yuehu TV produced "Friends" was none of Beijing TV's business; Beijing TV only had the right to a share of the profits.
Friends fans are puzzled.
The third season of "Beijing TV" has already turned out so badly, it's completely awful, yet Yuehu TV still took over. Why is that?
Then, another, even more explosive piece of news came out.
Yuehu TV is in active talks with Lu Yanhe, inviting him to return and reboot the Friends series.
For a time, the place was in an uproar.
Entertainment critic Guan Suchen, still on the front lines of gossip, shared his opinion: Lu Yanhe actually left "Friends" after the first season ended. However, more than two years have passed, and the third season has already finished airing, yet Lu Yanhe remains an unavoidable name in "Friends." This shows what kind of presence Lu Yanhe holds in the hearts of "Friends" viewers. Beijing TV has ruined the third season of "Friends" to the point that it's almost beyond saving no matter who takes it over. But if Yuehu TV can really bring Lu Yanhe back, can it reignite the viewers' confidence in "Friends"?
She started a poll: If Lu Yanhe returned to write and star in the show, would you give Friends another chance?
In the poll she initiated, more than 30,000 people voted, and ultimately, 82.3% of them chose yes.
This incident has become one of the most talked-about topics in the entertainment industry recently.
-
Chen Ziyan communicated with Yuehu TV about when to announce Lu Yanhe's return, and they finally decided that since the news was so popular right now, they shouldn't respond yet.
After all, it could take one to two years from the reboot to the broadcast. They need to keep the project in the public eye and maintain public anticipation, so this announcement can be made later.
"More importantly, let's talk to Bai Jingnian about returning to direct as soon as possible," Chen Ziyan said with a smile to the people at Yuehu TV. "Ideally, we should reunite the golden triangle in the reboot of 'Friends.' I think that's the key to getting the audience to give it another chance. Oh, and by the way, we should also talk to the other lead actors as soon as possible; their schedules are hard to find."
There are so many things to do in such a project, both inside and out.
Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe formally invited Hu Siwei out once again.
“Brother Siwei, come on over, we need you to reboot Friends,” Lu Yanhe said sincerely to Hu Siwei.
Hu Siwei smiled helplessly.
From the time Lu Yanhe started to have this idea, to all the things that happened in between, and now, it's only been a little over a month.
But for Hu Siwei, it seemed as if a magnificent era had passed.
Chen Ziyan said, "We need your help with the 'Friends' series, the couple stories you want to adapt, and the 'Chinese Paladin' series written by Yan He."
Hu Siwei took a deep breath.
"Do you have that much faith in me?"
“Of course.” Lu Yanhe nodded firmly and said, “You created Friends all by yourself. I know best how much you put in behind the success of this show.”
Chen Ziyan took out a contract and pushed it onto Hu Siwei's desk.
“These are the conditions we offer you: a base salary of two million, excluding project bonuses and profit sharing,” Chen Ziyan said. “We know that you’ve come from Beijing and Taiwan, and without a stable platform with vast resources, you’ll experience a sense of loss. But we have the best projects, the greatest trust, and full support here. We certainly can’t provide you with the vast resources that Beijing and Taiwan offer, but you can build your team here.”
Hu Siwei picked up the contract that Chen Ziyan pushed towards him and his gaze fell on it.
"Will Bai Jingnian come back?" he asked.
Lu Yanhe smiled with relief. The fact that Hu Siwei was willing to ask this meant that he was willing to come.
“I believe that if you’re willing to come, he definitely will be too,” Lu Yanhe said, raising his glass. “We’ve been on Friends for three years, one by one we’ve left and one by one we’ve come back. Finally, it can be Friends again. Let’s raise a glass to Friends!”
Hu Siwei and Chen Ziyan clinked glasses with Lu Yanhe and drank it all in one gulp.
None of them actually understood the joke in Lu Yanhe's words.
But it doesn't matter.
Lu Yanhe knew that they would find out once the script was finished.
After going through many twists and turns, "Friends" still became "Friends".
-
I'm guaranteed at least 6,000 words. I currently have 428 monthly votes, so I'll add an extra 3,000 words, for a total of 9,000 words.
When I first decided on the title "Friends," it was for this part of the story. I never imagined it would take so long to write.
It's finally a success.
I will continue my cultivation.
Still asking for monthly votes! Bonus chapters for monthly votes continue!
(End of this chapter)
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