On the first day of filming, we shot an opening scene, which was basically just a way for the actors to get acquainted and have a transition period. After the opening scene and a rehearsal, we filmed at Feilong in Beijing for two days and then went directly to Hangzhou. Most of the filming locations for Tianlong were in Jiuzhaigou, Hangzhou, Kunshan, and Sichuan.
Shen Fang, on the other hand, took Chang Jihong, Liu Qianqian, Liu Xiaoli, and the actors in the crew to network and get acquainted. After all, they would be together for at least several months. Although Shen Fang himself didn't need to, Liu Qianqian still needed to be included. In her previous life, Liu Xiaoli was too strict and afraid that her daughter would be corrupted by certain artists, so Liu Qianqian was always cold to everyone.
It's understandable for a mother to act this way, but things are different now. With Chen Fang protecting him, who would dare to mess around? They'd make him pay dearly.
"Hello, Brother Jun, let me greet you, senior."
Liu Qianqian greeted Hu Jun very politely.
When Hu Jun saw Shen Fang approaching, he quickly stood up and looked at Shen Fang with a restrained expression.
"Mr. Shen, hello. It's nice to see you again. You look like a dashing gentleman, handsome throughout your life. Miss Liu is also a fairy descended from heaven. You two are a perfect match."
Shen Fang laughed, thinking that Hu Jun was quite the comedian and knew how to flatter. The two had indeed met once before, but that was a long time ago.
“Brother Jun, we still have scenes together. Let’s have a few drinks and a good chat tonight. You’re a senior, so please guide me. I took this role to fulfill Qianqian’s little wish. I’m quite busy, so please take good care of me on set.”
Hu Jun smiled and said, "I'll listen to you, Mr. Shen. I'll keep an eye on Miss Liu's matter for you, and I'll make sure she's not bullied."
"Don't be so formal, calling me President Chen all the time. Brother Jun, would you be interested in joining our Longteng Media? Your acting skills and image are quite good. My teacher recommended you to me several times, and I admire you quite a bit. Right now, the company only has two male artists, and they are both idols. We are still lacking in male artists with real talent. Among the middle-aged male artists, I admire you the most."
Hu Jun was taken aback. He hadn't expected Shen Fang to want him to join Longteng Media. To be honest, he was quite tempted, but his management contract was with Wang Jinhua, making him a Chinese-American artist. To poach someone like this in front of so many people was quite blatant. But Shen Fang was a big shot; wasn't he worried about upsetting his boss and Wang Jinhua? And could he even get a bite out of Shen Fang?
In this industry, money talks. Recently, Shen Fang's power has spread throughout the circle. Most importantly, Shen Fang has Zhang Yimou's backing. Every actor wants to be in Zhang Yimou's films, especially now that heroes are all the rage. Many artists want to join Longteng Media but don't have the opportunity.
Although Chang Jihong and Huang Bin were eager to select promising talents to expand Longteng's artist roster, they weren't going to accept just anyone. Those without representative works, poor acting skills, or insufficient personal qualities were simply ignored. It's no joke that the boss is rich and the director has such influence; now, the Beijing and Hong Kong entertainment circles are all under their control. As long as an artist is selected, they'll soar to great heights sooner or later. The selection process isn't exactly one in ten thousand, but it's still extremely selective.
Chen Daoming and Hu Jun have a connection, which is why he recommended Hu Jun. Hu Jun comes from a family with a strong revolutionary history and a scholarly background. Most importantly, he has no scandals related to his tastes—well, wait, wait, wasn't he rumored to have had an affair with a married woman named Liu? The "script reading in the dark" incident originated from him...
Hu Jun pondered for a moment and looked at this Mr. Shen.
"Master Chen, could you give me some time to think about this? I need to think carefully about switching allegiance. After all, Sister Hua has been good to me. Although I really want to join Longteng, I still want to think it over carefully."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "No problem, Sister Hong. Leave a business card for Brother Jun. Once you've thought it through, you can make a deal with Sister Hong. Longteng's resource pool is beyond your imagination. There are too many people of Chinese descent vying for a living. You understand the principle of striving for higher positions, so I won't say any more. Let's talk again tonight."
Hu Jun smiled and said, "President Shen, you're busy."
Chang Jihong gave Hu Jun her business card.
Shen Fang took Liu Qianqian, Liu Xiaoli, Chang Jihong, and Huang Xiaoming back to the hotel. Apart from Hu Jun, he didn't care about the others at all.
As soon as Shen Fanggang left.
Hu Jun's assistant looked at his artist with some excitement. The assistant was not an outsider; he was Hu Jun's cousin.
"Brother Jun, you're in luck! Teacher Chen is really kind of you, still thinking of you. The CEO of Longteng is a big shot. So many people are desperate to get in. Chang Jihong and Huang Bin, two top managers, manage Longteng's artists in one company. They have the prestige, money, and manpower. Brother Jun, you should have agreed just now."
"Although this is a good thing, Sister Hua has treated me very well, like family. I'm still a little hesitant. Let me think about it some more. I'll talk to Sister Hua about it first. There's no need to rush. I'll learn more about it before making a decision."
Teacher Chen is really kind; he prepared a gift for me. I'll go and thank him properly after filming is over.
The assistant was speechless: "Brother, Sister Hua is good to you, but how many artists does she have? She doesn't have any decent resources, does she? But Longteng is different. This year, they directly launched three TV series, and they hired big directors from the Beijing circle, such as Zhao Baogang and Zhang Li. Do you understand the quality? They are all big-budget, high-quality TV series."
I've heard that Longteng has more than enough of its own artists' resources. They can pick and choose roles, and whether someone gets the male or female lead role is just a matter of a word from them.
They're not short of money; they're all about promoting talent. Big productions, big directors, big casts—we Chinese have absolutely no access to these kinds of resources. Even if we did, it would be a fight to the death. But it's different with Dragon Entertainment. As Mr. Shen just said, they only have two idol stars, no middle-aged actors at all. The rest are actors like Mr. Chen, Mr. Wang, and Mr. Zhang. If you go there, and there are suitable roles for you, no one will even compete with you.”
"Mr. Shen, there's a saying that's true: people strive for higher positions. We can't just let feelings dictate everything. Now that we're in this industry, becoming famous is the most important thing. Besides, you've made her a lot of money over the years, haven't you? Isn't it only natural that she's good to you? Brother, think about it carefully. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You could say it's a turning point in your life."
Hu Jun nodded upon hearing this.
"I understand, I'll think about it seriously. Okay, let's go back to the hotel."
The assistant nodded.
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