Chapter 64
Hu Zhenzhen had no interest in caring about Li Yitian, who had been kicked out.
She has a lot to do.
It was quite a coincidence that Wu Tianai had just made her move and was trying to reach out to a few familiar film and television companies.
Although she is a wealthy person, she is only at the level of someone who barely makes it into the world of fame and fortune; her wealth is incomparable to that of other CEOs.
When Mr. Li received her message, he was completely puzzled.
With Wu Tianai's meager wealth, is she blinded by greed, or is she simply trying to get out of the entertainment industry, that she would actively provoke Hu Zhenzhen?
Putting aside everything else.
If you anger Hu Zhenzhen, she'll really throw money at you and challenge you to a duel; she could wear Wu Tianai down just by wearing her down.
Where did she get the audacity to go against Hu Zhenzhen?
Driven by curiosity, Mr. Li asked a question.
Only then did she realize that Wu Tianai had no idea that those people had already been hired by Hu Zhenzhen.
This person is really something. They clearly know that Jianghu Films is Hu Zhenzhen's company, yet they still don't have any sense and resort to this petty trick at a critical moment.
After Mr. Li gave her a hint, Wu Tianai immediately understood.
She frantically wanted to apologize to Hu Zhenzhen, but was afraid that Hu Zhenzhen didn't know yet, and she would walk right into a trap.
After hesitating for a long time, I consulted with Mr. Li before carefully sending the apology message.
Hu Zhenzhen's reply made Wu Tianai think deeply for a long time.
I've heard about what happened to you, Mr. Wu. I imagine this was also caused by some malicious person stirring things up, otherwise you wouldn't have done something so irrational.
Hu Zhenzhen only replied with this one sentence, and no matter how many messages Wu Tianai sent later, she did not reply anymore.
This made Wu Tianai's imagination run wild.
Why does President Hu sound like she's trying to sow discord from the start? Could it be that she's heard something?
Or perhaps—
Li Yitian did it on purpose.
Wu Tianai had been sponsoring him for a period of time and thought she knew him quite well. She believed he was petty and greedy, and indeed capable of doing such a thing.
She had treated him well, yet Li Yitian still managed to scheme against her.
Thinking about it this way, Wu Tianai immediately became angry.
She contacted Li Yitian directly and, after learning that he had been kicked out by Hu Zhenzhen, offered to reconcile with him.
But what he really wanted was to get revenge on this traitor.
It was half a month later when Hu Zhenzhen heard news of Wu Tianai again.
Wu Tianai's investment in a TV series failed, and she seems to have gotten into some kind of civil case, which even made the news.
Without Hu Zhenzhen needing to inquire, Chen Kai had already explained the whole story clearly.
It was nothing more than a matter between a man and a woman. No matter how much money Li Yitian got from her, Wu Tianai found a way to get it all back.
Hu Zhenzhen listened with great interest; this was even more interesting than watching the film crew start shooting.
The film crew of "Dragon Slayer" officially started filming, and the film and television base in the East District was put into use for the first time.
Hu Zhenzhen spent a lot of money on the construction of the Jianghu Film and Television Base.
Pavilions, terraces, and gardens with unusual rocks were just the basics; she directly replicated a small palace in the eastern district to facilitate the filming of period dramas.
In addition, there are woodlands and bamboo groves suitable for martial arts scenes.
Even the small hill that wasn't fully developed was designed by landscape experts.
Lu Ye came to inspect the place once, and he was so happy that he slapped his thigh.
In the past, one had to travel to several cities to find suitable scenery. But Mr. Hu simply built all the scenery he wanted to film in one film and television base.
On the day filming began, in addition to offering incense to the pig's head, Lu Ye, with a selfish motive, also specially made a small clay figure with Hu Zhenzhen's name written on it and reverently placed it on the table.
"President Hu, please bless me so that everything goes smoothly, please bless me."
Lei Tao, hearing him muttering to himself, came closer.
My eyelids twitched wildly when I saw the clay figure.
"Why are you cursing President Hu?!"
His exclamation was a bit loud, startling Lu Ye, who was still devoutly praying.
"What nonsense! Who cursed President Hu!"
Lu Ye quickly spat a few times, "You should spit too, spit out the bad luck."
He carefully put the clay figure into the small box. "This isn't a curse, it's just borrowing Mr. Hu's good fortune to wish us a smooth start to filming!"
Seeing Lei Tao's speechless expression, he rolled his eyes.
"If you don't understand, then get out of the way. This is Mr. Hu's place. What god or Buddha can do better than praying to Mr. Hu?"
He stuffed the box into his shirt pocket and rolled his eyes at Lei Tao.
All the main actors in the play were present. Several of them overheard the conversation between the director and the screenwriter and lowered their heads to suppress their laughter, afraid of being caught laughing at the director.
Zhu Qingqing was among them.
Standing next to her is Liu Zhen. The two played sisters in the drama, and in real life, they also became good friends after spending half a month together.
Of the group, only Teacher Qian couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
He plays the role of the Grand Eunuch Li Tai'an. He lost ten pounds and got quite tanned for the role, and now he even has a sinister look when he smiles.
Hu Zhenzhen had just finished listening to Chen Kai's gossip when she saw the actors in the group laughing.
What jokes are they telling?
Chen Kai didn't pay attention to what those people were saying and said, "Should I go ask them, boss?"
That's not necessary.
Hu Zhenzhen's curiosity wasn't that high.
After the opening ceremony, she led the way out of the filming location and went to inspect the nearby hotel where the actors were staying.
This whole area belongs to Hu Zhenzhen, so the hotel naturally belongs to her too.
To meet the accommodation needs of the film crew, Hu Zhenzhen upgraded the hotel's amenities to the highest level.
From a distance, it looks no different from a residential building, except that it looks more luxurious.
Unlike the city center, this place doesn't pursue visual luxury.
Hu Zhenzhen prioritizes practicality. The hotel's exterior doesn't use any fancy paint; instead, it's made entirely of sturdy stone, balancing design with durability against wind and rain.
Meanwhile, the interior design mainly followed a practical approach.
The actors spend most of their time on set, and the hotel where they stay is practically their second home.
Comfort is far more important than aesthetics.
The hotel has 15 floors. Floors 10 and below are all 50-square-meter single rooms that can be occupied by one or two people.
Whether you're an extra or a short-term supporting actor, you can move in immediately with just your belongings.
Floors 10 and above are reserved for the lead actors and directors.
The area has doubled, and its practicality and aesthetics have been greatly enhanced, meeting the various needs of the actors.
Most importantly, this is Hu Zhenzhen's business.
When her own company's film crews are shooting here, the crews can stay for free.
Other film crews that want to shoot at the Jianghu Film and Television Base don't receive this treatment.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Jianghu Film and Television Base, many directors visited and expressed great interest in collaborating.
After all, there are very few film and television bases that can create such realistic and beautiful scenery. For all directors who shoot period dramas, finding a good filming location is difficult.
Jianghu Film and Television Base perfectly fulfills this requirement.
When Hu Zhenzhen first started designing, she consulted experts in ancient architecture to study the imperial palaces in Kyoto. She did not aim for a one-to-one replica, but she strived for a unified overall aesthetic.
These experts have been talking theory for years, but they don't have many opportunities to actually design ancient buildings themselves. Hu Zhenzhen was willing to spend money and was also respectful to scholars, so she really managed to persuade many famous people to come out of retirement.
"The Qianqing Palace, where the emperor resided, was designed by [unclear], while the bamboo grove courtyard over there was designed by Master Jiang from J Province..."
Many businessmen who came to offer their congratulations subtly inquired about where she had found the master.
Hu Zhenzhen doesn't hold back; she says whatever comes to mind.
These masters are very famous in their respective fields, and you can find their contact information with a little effort.
Whether other business owners are willing to pay the money, or whether they can actually hire these masters to redesign the building, is another matter.
Hu Zhenzhen believes she was lucky to have come at a time when no one had thought of this path.
If architectural masters were constantly being begged to build houses, it probably wouldn't be so easy for Hu Zhenzhen to persuade them to do so.
The opening ceremony was grand and attracted a lot of attention from the outside world.
Because it's an original script with no source material to reference, netizens only know that the story is called "Dragon Slayer," but there's not a single clue about what the film is about.
Other companies rely on actors to generate buzz. They create on-screen couples and release promotional photos, which makes them sound incredibly popular.
This drama from Jianghu Film and Television is different.
From director and screenwriter to actors, they are not well-known figures in the public eye.
Director Lu Ye is even associated with bad movies.
This configuration makes it hard to believe the quality of the final product.
If it weren't for the fact that the boss was Hu Zhenzhen, this drama would probably have flopped as soon as filming started, and there would have been no audience attention afterward.
The situation is different now. Thanks to the momentum created by Hu Zhenzhen some time ago, the TV series "Slaying the Dragon" has actually aroused the public's curiosity.
What will Hu Zhenzhen's first report card be like, given that she keeps saying she wants to make high-quality TV movies for the public?
There are quite a few people who share this curiosity.
Marketing accounts seized the opportunity and began to follow up on the matter, gaining a lot of traffic online.
The paparazzi, who originally only targeted big names and the super-rich, started staking out the Jianghu Film and Television Base after seeing this situation.
However, the situation here is special.
This entire area belongs to Hu Zhenzhen, and no other directors have rented the space for filming yet, so all the staff are her own.
They all wore signs for Jianghu Film and Television around their necks.
It's extremely difficult for paparazzi to sneak in; they can only wait at the entrance.
The film and television base has several entrances, and the paparazzi scattered, each guarding one entrance, but they couldn't dig up any dirt.
The paparazzi profession is known for its endurance and ability to endure hardship; sometimes they have to squat in the bushes for an entire day.
However, even the most patient paparazzi couldn't stand it at the entrance of the Jianghu Film and Television Base.
There's nothing else to it; this place was originally a wasteland, which was then transformed into a film and television base after Hu Zhenzhen bought it.
Apart from the buildings constructed by Hu Zhenzhen, no one lives here.
In other words, there were no shops or food stalls at all.
The paparazzi only stayed for two days, but they lost a lot of weight and couldn't take it anymore.
"Let's just wait for celebrities at the airport, it's easier."
The lead paparazzi spoke up, and the rest of them raised their hands in agreement.
They may like to make money in this line of work, but they don't want to risk their lives.
Squatting at the entrance of a film and television base is much harder than staking out a celebrity neighborhood. In comparison, it's much more profitable to film those already famous big stars.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't expect the paparazzi to leave so easily.
When Chen Kai notified her, Hu Zhenzhen was still thinking about whether she should hire more security personnel.
Unexpectedly, the paparazzi had already backed down before the security personnel could even get on duty.
However, Hu Zhenzhen has already made security arrangements and does not intend to change her plans because of this incident.
Half of the actors filming at the Jianghu Film and Television Base are from their own company. After a few days of filming, they have adapted to the atmosphere here.
If Zhu Qingqing were to say it, it would be that the atmosphere was too quiet.
This silence doesn't mean no one is talking.
Instead, no one bothered them.
There are no fans, no sasaeng fans, no diva-like celebrities, and no paparazzi everywhere.
This place is like a paradise, with only the actors, staff, and director present.
In this environment, it is actually quite easy for everyone to do their job well.
Zhu Qingqing likes the atmosphere of this group.
Even if she doesn't have any scenes to film that day, she will still come to the set to observe the performances of other actors.
Especially those of Teacher Qian.
He can bring a character's personality to life with just a few movements, which really impressed Zhu Qingqing.
What reassured the actors even more was that after a month of filming, everyone received their basic salary from the company in their bank accounts.
Being an actor is the most unstable profession.
Logically, they shouldn't receive any payment until filming is complete.
The lead actors are all doing well, but it's been a tough time for the supporting actors.
Their income is mostly low. The filming schedule has to be coordinated with the lead actors, so they often work a lot more hours but only get a little money, which is then withheld until filming is finished.
They only receive their money every three to four months, so they're naturally not well-off.
Hu Zhenzhen was aware of this situation, so she adopted a model of stable salary plus bonuses.
This is still a novel experience for people who have been in the entertainment industry for so many years; they actually have a stable salary now.
When Yu Qian talked about this, his face was full of emotion.
"If I hadn't met Mr. Hu, I would never have imagined that I would ever have a stable salary."
Liu Zhen, who plays Zhu Qingqing's maid and is dressed as a medicine boy, nodded upon hearing this, "That's right, Mr. Hu even pays for our social insurance and housing fund. This is the first time I've felt that being an actor is a stable job."
Let's leave those discussions aside for now.
Lu Ye contacted Hu Zhenzhen for another matter.
"Huh?" Hu Zhenzhen answered the phone. "Do you want Xiao Chen to play the young emperor?"
Lu Ye thought she was unwilling, so he hesitated and seemed to back down.
Unexpectedly, Hu Zhenzhen on the other end of the phone turned to Jiang Chen and asked, "Xiao Chen, Uncle Lu Ye's TV series is missing a young emperor. Would you be willing to play the role?"
Jiang Chen's clear voice came from the phone.
"Okay, Mom, what do I need to learn?"
Hearing this, Lu Ye finally felt at ease.
The young emperor in the TV series didn't have many scenes; he only appeared for less than ten minutes in total.
Finding a child actor for this ten-minute scene wouldn't be difficult.
But before Lu Ye took action, he suddenly remembered that Hu Zhenzhen had mentioned that her son was very interested in the film crew.
The moment the message flashed through Lu Ye's mind, he instinctively seized the opportunity.
If Mr. Hu's son is going to personally film this drama, then there's no need to worry about publicity!
With a little ulterior motive and a desire to please Hu Zhenzhen, Lu Ye made this call.
He stumbled upon the perfect opportunity, as it happened to hit the mark perfectly with Hu Zhenzhen.
Jiang Chen will become a movie star in the future.
Hu Zhenzhen's choice to develop in the entertainment industry was also due to this reason. She first became a big boss in the entertainment industry, so when her son entered the industry, those shady dealings naturally wouldn't be able to find him.
But with her stepmother, who came from another time, around, the storyline has changed a lot. Does Jiang Chen still have any interest in acting?
Hu Zhenzhen was unsure.
If you mean well but do something wrong, forcing your son to work in an industry he doesn't like will backfire.
She didn't want to do something so foolish. Just then, the film crew started shooting, and Hu Zhenzhen originally wanted to get a small role for her son to see if he was still interested in acting.
Before she could even speak, Lu Ye came knocking on her door.
This perfectly suited Hu Zhenzhen's wish.
Jiang Chen's expression answered her question.
At least for now, children are still very interested in acting.
Soon, Jiang Chen will start school as a third-year student.
Before that, he had to go to the film set to finish filming his scenes.
Jiang Chen, who had just received the notification, was urgently taken to the filming location by Hu Zhenzhen.
Fortunately, the hotel always reserves a presidential suite for her on the top floor, and Jiang Chen's life is not inconvenient at all when staying here for a few days.
With Hu Zhenzhen by his side, Jiang Chen felt more like he was on a trip with his mother.
He was very relaxed, and today, while filming on set, he gave Lu Ye a pleasant surprise.
"Mr. Hu, I never expected your son to be so talented!"
Hu Zhenzhen sat next to him, watching the monitor with him.
"Of course."
She showed absolutely no humility.
Jiang Chen is a future young movie star. The original text describes his talent in acting as outstanding, a talent that comes along only once every few decades.
That's why he still has countless fans despite his terrible personality.
There's nothing else to it, it's all about strength.
Lu Ye's smile, which had been somewhat ingratiating, crumbled upon hearing Hu Zhenzhen's words.
It seems that even Mr. Hu cannot escape the parental law, always believing that his own child has extraordinary talent and is the best child in the world.
Lu Ye understood and secretly kept it in mind.
If I ever need Mr. Hu's help in the future, I might be able to start from this point and win over the young master first.
While thinking, Lu Ye directed the on-site operations.
The next scene depicts the young emperor being assassinated during a sacrificial ceremony, with the eunuch, played by Yu Qian, shielding the young emperor from a flying weapon.
To perform action scenes beautifully and accurately, a lot of practice is required.
Before joining the crew, Yu Qian put in a lot of effort, specifically finding a teacher to learn dance and warming up her body so that she could learn martial arts after joining the crew.
He's so old, yet he still works so hard. Lu Ye was truly moved when he first heard about it.
Of course, this feeling of being touched vanished completely after learning that Yu Qian was learning square dancing for the elderly.
However, Lu Ye still greatly admired Yu Qian's seriousness.
There were hidden weapons in this action scene. To ensure the young master's safety, the hidden weapons were filmed pointing at him, but in reality, they were tilted slightly to avoid accidents.
For a director, these little camera tricks are nothing to brag about.
He didn't inform Hu Zhenzhen beforehand.
A few minutes later, the accident happened.
The gadgets used to launch projectiles malfunctioned and could not fly to the designated location along the original route.
If we insist on using this broken machine, the projectiles made from candle material might injure people.
Lu Ye frowned and pondered for a long time before deciding to switch to a different machine, using the small crossbow he had previously kept as a spare.
The arrows are also made of candles, so even if you accidentally hit someone, it won't hurt much.
The filming started smoothly.
A hidden weapon is launched, rushing towards Jiang Chen, who plays the young emperor, in the shot.
The brief shot required two takes to complete. A specialist recorded the location of the crossbow bolts before pausing to arrange for Yu Qian to be moved in front of the young emperor.
Next, Yu Qian was to use his sleeve to flick these hidden weapons aside.
In this close-up shot, the crossbow bolts were held by staff members who worked together to hit Yu Qian's sleeve.
After successfully completing the task, Lu Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
"Go! This one's through!"
The props crew was also on tenterhooks until filming was completed, at which point they happily went to collect the scattered crossbow bolts from the ground.
Unnoticed by anyone, a crossbow bolt struck the lighting technician's lamp tube.
The light bulb shattered in an instant, the shattered glass scattering in all directions.
Lu Ye was the closest person and didn't react for a moment.
Everyone instinctively curled up.
By the time they realized what was happening, the small explosion was already over.
"Director Lu, are you alright?"
Hu Zhenzhen and Jiang Chen were standing a few meters behind him when Chen Kai immediately protected them.
Lu Ye turned around, still shaken and fearful.
"I'm fine, Mr. Hu."
He had a small cut on his face, from which a drop of blood seeped out.
Fortunately, there were no other external injuries.
Hu Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief, "Call the on-call paramedics immediately!"
Lu Ye's injury was nothing to trouble the doctor, but he was so scared that he almost wet himself, so he wanted the doctor to come and put his mind at ease.
Apart from Lu Ye, the unlucky guy standing next to the lamp, the rest of the crew members dispersed, and no one was injured.
He ran his hands over his body and found no pain, then breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, that was terrifying!"
It seems he was really frightened; he even started speaking in his hometown dialect.
Hu Zhenzhen listened from the side, then helped the director to sit down in a chair.
Only after sitting down did Lu Ye notice a hole in his clothes.
But when you look further inside, you'll find something truly shocking.
Half of a crossbow bolt was stuck in his waist.
When Hu Zhenzhen saw this, she exclaimed, "Director Lu, are you really not in pain?"
Lu Ye's heart trembled, and he shuddered a few times in fright.
A few seconds later, Lu Ye realized something was wrong.
He really doesn't feel any pain. Could it be that the pain is so intense that it triggers the body's protective mechanism, making him unable to feel the pain?
Lost in his own thoughts, he couldn't answer Hu Zhenzhen's question.
Although there was no visible bleeding, it still frightened Hu Zhenzhen.
She knew that such a penetrating wound couldn't be easily pulled out, so she didn't even dare to touch Lu Ye and could only offer words of comfort.
"Don't worry, Director, the doctor is on his way. Hang in there!"
Fortunately, Hu Zhenzhen was cautious and arranged for a resident emergency doctor at the hotel, who could arrive at various areas of the film set within minutes.
After exchanging a few words, Chen Kai had already brought the doctor.
"Quick, quick, check for Director Lu! That crossbow bolt is stuck in his stomach!"
The doctor had just gotten off his electric scooter when he heard this and felt nervous. He grabbed his medical kit and ran as fast as he could to Lu Ye's side.
"It's best to take the foreign object to a professional hospital. I'll stop the bleeding for the director first, then we'll help him into the car and get him to the hospital as quickly as possible."
With the help of professionals, Hu Zhenzhen calmed down.
"Okay! Quickly stop the bleeding!"
Hu Zhenzhen moved aside so that the doctor could more easily stop Lu Ye's bleeding.
The paramedics had already taken out the hemostatic cotton, and when they saw that there was no blood on the clothes, they were stunned for a moment.
Thinking that the wound might not be bleeding much, he cut open Lu Ye's coat to assess the condition of the wound.
As soon as the clothes were cut open, I was speechless.
"Director Lu, a mud-covered man with an arrow in his eye doesn't need first aid."
Lu Ye had been nervously closing his eyes, but upon hearing this, he suddenly opened them and looked down.
Indeed, the arrow struck the little clay figure that Lu Ye had bought earlier, without harming him at all.
For a moment, Lu Ye forgot all about being embarrassed and clung to Hu Zhenzhen with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"Mr. Hu, you're my savior!"
Hu Zhenzhen was caught off guard by this misunderstanding and didn't know what expression to make. Lu Ye suddenly lunged at her, but she dodged without thinking.
"Director Lu, let's talk this out. I didn't do anything to save your life."
"Yes," Lu Ye retorted emotionally.
He held up the little clay figure for Hu Zhenzhen to see.
"Mr. Hu, look, I made this clay figure especially for you, and it even has your name engraved on the back!"
"..."
The scene fell silent immediately.
The emergency doctor, who was initially somewhat angry, covered his mouth and barely managed to suppress his laughter upon seeing this scene.
Hu Zhenzhen rubbed her forehead, feeling a terrible headache. She gave Chen Kai a look, signaling him to pull the guide away.
"So, why did you make a clay figure of me and put it in your pocket?"
Lu Ye then became embarrassed and stammered, unable to give a proper explanation.
Lei Tao, who had been silent for a long time, cleared up the boss's doubts.
"Mr. Hu, he specially made a clay figure of you to worship, saying that worshipping you is more effective than worshipping any other deity."
Good heavens, she's not even dead yet, and Lu Ye has already offered incense for her.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't know what to say for a moment.
She stared at the shattered clay figure for a long time with a complex expression, then left behind a sentence that broke Lu Ye's heart.
"Half of your salary this month will be deducted!"
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