Chapter 78
After receiving that note, Hu Zhenzhen could slack off even more openly.
Equally noticeable as she was, with her head down, was Jiang Chen, who kept her eyes glued to everyone's performance.
Hu Zhenzhen would occasionally look up at her son and ask him a question.
"How was the performance, seniors?
Jiang Chen's answer was also very honest.
"Some are incredibly skilled, while others are only moderately skilled."
His wording was rather tactful, and Hu Zhenzhen understood what he meant, so she couldn't help but laugh.
Having spent half a day here, Jiang Chen didn't know how much he had learned.
After ordering a table full of takeout for the staff, Hu Zhenzhen left with Jiang Chen. It was too cold, so before leaving, Hu Zhenzhen specifically reminded them not to let the audition last too late.
Otherwise, these child actors would have to wait here for a long time, and it would be difficult for them to get a taxi back.
After returning home, Hu Zhenzhen no longer had to watch other people's performances, but she had a new task.
Help Jiang Chen practice his self-introduction.
Jiang Chen noticed that all the actors who came to audition today gave a brief self-introduction.
He is not usually talkative and has never experienced this situation in class before. When he really had to stand in front of others to introduce himself, he inevitably stuttered a bit.
Jiang Chen practiced his self-introduction with Hu Zhenzhen for an hour in preparation for the audition a few days later.
"Hello director, hello everyone, my name is Jiang Chen, I am 9 years old, and I am about to start the audition."
Jiang Chen practiced this passage until he knew it by heart, and then began the performance he had seen today.
Hu Zhenzhen was patient with him. She watched the child practice more than ten times and even recorded it on her phone so that Jiang Chen could watch his own performance.
She doesn't have a strong concept of good or bad acting skills; she only knows how to appreciate them, not how to offer guidance.
Fortunately, they still have Chen Kai, their housekeeper, at home.
Compared to Hu Zhenzhen, he seemed much more professional.
He probably studied privately and could give Jiang Chen some pointers.
Seeing this, Hu Zhenzhen quickly gave up her teacher's seat to him and sat aside to watch, acting as the atmosphere group. After Jiang Chen finished his performance, she clapped and cheered twice.
Putting everything else aside, at least Hu Zhenzhen gave Jiang Chen a lot of confidence.
No one dislikes being encouraged.
Encouraged by Hu Zhenzhen, Jiang Chen felt that he performed better today than in the past.
"Mom, do you think I'll succeed if I go for the audition?"
Jiang Chen sat there with Hu Zhenzhen for a long time today.
There were at least thirty or fifty actors who went into the room, but most of them were rejected, and only two or three were selected by Lu Ye.
Jiang Chen is still young and doesn't know how to regulate his emotions, so he inevitably gets nervous in advance and can't help but ask Hu Zhenzhen.
In fact, Lu Ye had told Hu Zhenzhen that he could skip Jiang Chen's audition and use him directly, but Hu Zhenzhen did not agree.
Preventing Jiang Chen from auditioning may save some trouble, but it might not be a good thing for Jiang Chen.
Hu Zhenzhen wanted him to experience the fruits of victory he had fought for.
The feeling of successfully obtaining a role after a child's hard work is very different from simply handing the role to them.
"If Xiao Chen is well prepared, he can definitely do it."
The child was happy to hear this and went off to tend to the radishes he had recently planted in the back garden.
After Jiang Chen left, Chen Kai asked with some concern.
"Boss, is it really okay to leave such a large investment to Director Lu and his team? Should I go and supervise for you?"
It wasn't that Chen Kai didn't trust them, but the amount of money involved was too large, and he was worried about his boss.
If such a large sum of money is lost all at once, even the boss would suffer a significant blow for a while.
Chen Kai absolutely did not want to see this happen.
"No need, having the producer over there is enough."
Chen Kai originally brought a team of ten people, who served as both drivers and bodyguards, and were absolutely responsible for Hu Zhenzhen's safety.
But Hu Zhenzhen later discovered that they were rarely actually used.
When she goes out, Liu An is usually the one who drives. Sometimes when there are many people and things are busy, one or two more drivers will be needed.
Ten drivers were far too many, so she decided to hold a test and select the person with the strongest learning ability to learn from. She then sent the person to a film crew to learn from an experienced producer.
After they officially graduated, they were sent to take a bunch of exams to get a lot of certificates.
From then on, Lao Zhen became a professional producer under Hu Zhenzhen, and he learned a lot about the entertainment industry.
Hu Zhenzhen's martial arts films have a simple structure, and the situations that need to be handled are generally simple as well. There isn't much scheming or intrigue involved, so Lao Zhen handles them quite well.
Chen Kai and he had been brothers for many years. After learning that the investment was so large, he often asked Lao Zhen about it.
"How's it going? Any problems on set?"
The same question is asked five or six times a week, and Lao Zhen's ears are practically calloused.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things here. I'll make sure that every penny Mr. Hu spends is well spent. No one can take any benefits from me. You know me."
Even with his good friend's assurance, Chen Kai was still not entirely at ease.
That's when he couldn't help but ask Hu Zhenzhen.
Hu Zhenzhen patted his shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay, money can be earned back. Let's think positively, what if we make a profit?"
In this respect, Hu Zhenzhen's open-mindedness impressed Chen Kai.
"You're right, I was too pessimistic. I'll remind Lao Zhen to keep a close eye on the crew. As for the content of the film, let Director Lu handle it."
Seeing that he finally relaxed his brows, Hu Zhenzhen smiled as well.
"That's right. Let Director Lu worry about the production team. The requirements for the male lead this time are high. I don't know how many actors we'll have to audition before we can find a suitable one."
Hu Zhenzhen chatted with Chen Kai for a couple of minutes and finally managed to calm him down.
"We need to manage the production team, but we need to do it within limits. We also have other things to do, such as holding a national tour concert."
Oh, right, boss, besides the film and television company, you also have a music company.
Chen Kai then remembered.
"Should we give it to Su Zhaokai?"
Chen Kai hesitated, "Is his current level of fame enough to support a national tour?"
It wasn't that Chen Kai looked down on him. It was just that Su Zhao's popularity was very similar to that of a once-popular internet celebrity. In reality, it was uncertain how many people would be willing to come and listen to him sing offline.
"It's not just him, don't forget, we have another group in our company."
Hu Zhenzhen's mention reminded Chen Kai of the male-female duo recommended by his music teacher.
The company hasn't officially promoted their songs yet, but the album has already been recorded, and promotion can begin at any time.
Hu Zhenzhen has an album at home.
When she brought up this matter, she simply took out the physical album and played it for Chen Kai.
"This album was delivered the day before yesterday. I've already listened to it once, and the quality is very high."
As Hu Zhenzhen spoke, music began to play.
Chen Kai listened to one song quietly.
The recording order of the album was deliberate, with the title track placed at the very beginning.
After listening to the first song, Chen Kai's face showed more appreciation.
"No wonder you agreed to make them a group. The three voices sound really harmonious together, and they have an addictive magic."
Yes, it was precisely because of the high quality of this album that Hu Zhenzhen had the confidence to promote it.
"There are almost no new male-female groups appearing on the market now. Not to mention male-female groups, even pure girl groups or pure boy groups are rare."
From the perspective of capital, this seems to indicate that the public prefers youthful and energetic idol boy groups and girl groups.
But Hu Zhenzhen saw that the market lacked this type of combination.
The principle that things will turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme applies everywhere.
No matter what it is, once it exceeds a certain point, people will begin to miss the rare and precious past.
Orchestras are a rare thing these days.
Few music companies are willing to promote bands, which means that young people who form bands in the private sector have no chance to debut.
Hu Zhenzhen's decision to launch a band is a trial run for the industry. If it succeeds, other music companies will reconsider the possibility of launching a band in the future.
"Sanshan Yue, has the group's name been decided yet?"
"The official promotion will begin tomorrow."
The reason for choosing tomorrow is that the sitcom directed by a new director from Jianghu Film and Television will be broadcast tomorrow.
"Tomorrow is the premiere of Evil Valley. Sanshanyue sang the theme song for the TV series. If the show becomes popular, it will bring them a wave of traffic without any promotion."
The key lies in the TV series.
The new director's surname is Liang. Although Hu Zhenzhen calls him a new director, Director Liang has actually directed several films and is not without experience.
However, when he joined Jianghu Film and Television, he didn't have any outstanding works to show for it, so he simply came with an empty resume and called himself a new director.
That's why Hu Zhenzhen always called him the new director.
Making comedy is difficult; humor is never an easy thing. In Hu Zhenzhen's view, sitcoms, like comedy films, are extremely challenging.
This time, the budget she provided was not high.
Two million.
It's not that I don't trust Director Liang, but Director Liang himself proposed the amount of two million.
Two million is really not much for a TV series.
But for a director who wants to make a sitcom, two million is enough. It's enough for him to set up the scenes and hire qualified actors.
There are unspoken rules in the acting world as well.
Good actors get roles in serious dramas, popular actors get roles in idol dramas, and sitcoms seem to always be at the bottom of the ladder. Only actors who don't want either of these roles will take them.
In reality, it's not that easy to act well in a sitcom.
Hu Zhenzhen has high expectations for this drama.
Having previously had a contract with Lotus TV, Hu Zhenzhen immediately contacted the station director after the drama "Villain Valley" passed censorship.
She used her connections to secure a prime-time slot for the show.
The TV station doesn't have a high opinion of sitcoms. Over the years, some people have been making sitcoms, but they all failed to make a splash when they were released.
For a television station, putting such a seemingly hopeless drama in prime time was a bold decision.
This decision seemed even more insane, especially after Lotus Channel's ratings had improved.
"Mr. Hu, are you sure this play is excellent?"
Even after agreeing, the station director couldn't help feeling uneasy.
After all, people go outdoors less in winter, and watching TV becomes the choice for more families during the winter.
Now is the perfect time to compete for ratings. If the quality of "Evil Valley" is too poor, causing it to lose out to other channels in terms of ratings, the entire winter's prime time slot will pay the price for this period of silence.
Because of this, the station director repeatedly confirmed with Hu Zhenzhen.
"I'm serious. You can take a look after you get the master tape of the TV series. If you think the TV series is really bad, I have no objection to it being pulled from the schedule halfway through."
Hu Zhenzhen had already said all that, and the person on stage finally gained some confidence.
"Alright, Mr. Hu, I look forward to the arrival of Evil Valley."
The TV series is called "Valley of Villains," but it actually tells the story of a bunch of fake villains.
The eldest brother of the Villain Valley, Sha Laoda, is tall and imposing with a fierce face, but he is incredibly timid.
She has no cooking skills whatsoever but loves to cook. Rumor has it that she is Sun Erniang, the wife of the Five Poison Granny.
He was short in stature, had a shrill voice, and was known as the King of Thieves, a master of digging tunnels named Shen Sanqian.
They are the old villains stationed in the Valley of Villains, isolated from the world. No matter how famous the Valley of Villains is outside, they hide in the small valley and never go out.
One day, two young men, instigated by others, mustered their courage and prepared to challenge the Valley of Villains.
The story begins here.
Hu Zhenzhen had read the beginning of Evil Valley and found it extremely interesting, so she stubbornly resisted reading further.
I'll wait until the official premiere to watch it with the audience.
When discussing the plot, someone can join in her conversation, instead of her getting excited about the plot on her own.
After waiting and waiting, in early January, when Director Lu finalized the male lead, "Villain Valley" finally premiered on Lotus TV.
Hu Zhenzhen had already made preparations.
Popcorn, cola, and spicy boneless chicken feet were on the table. The TV had already been switched to Lotus Channel, and the tablet next to it was on Weibo's trending topics page.
Everything is ready; we're just waiting for the premiere of Evil Valley.
Hu Zhenzhen promoted this drama a few times on her Weibo, but compared to the overwhelming promotion of other romantic dramas at the same time, this amount of promotion was insignificant.
Many fans of the TV series "The Dragon Slayer" have become followers of Hu Zhenzhen's Weibo account. Among them, many were attracted by "Villain Valley" and switched to Lotus Channel tonight.
Has it started?
Hu Zhenzhen glanced at the new comments under her account and replied in a good mood.
[Coming soon, after the break.]
Hu Zhenzhen rarely replies to Weibo posts, but when she suddenly did, the girl who received the reply was overjoyed.
[Oh my god! Sister Hu replied to me! I love you, Sister Hu! I've confessed my love a million times, and I've already switched the TV to Lotus Channel!]
Besides her, there were also many of Hu Zhenzhen's die-hard fans who rushed over upon seeing her.
More and more people gathered, all hoping that Hu Zhenzhen could come back again.
Hu Zhenzhen saw it during a break from the advertisements and simply posted a Weibo post about it.
She casually raised her hand and took a picture of the television.
[Ready? Why isn't the Evil Valley starting yet?]
The TV in the photo is showing Lotus Platform, but what attracts more attention than that is the three-piece set for watching TV on the table.
[While getting cozy with my wife, I also bought chicken feet!]
Popcorn, popcorn, I want to see who doesn't eat popcorn!
The number of comments increased by hundreds in an instant, with many netizens posting pictures of the snacks they ate while watching the show.
The commercial break finally ended before Hu Zhenzhen's patience ran out, and the theme song of the TV series began to play.
Hu Zhenzhen invited Chen Kai to sit on another sofa to watch together, and handed him some popcorn.
"You have to eat something to enjoy a comedy."
Chen Kai chuckled and accepted the boss's offer.
He ate two kernels of popcorn, casually placed them on the small table, and quickly forgot about them.
Nothing else, but Evil Valley is really interesting.
Chen Kai hadn't watched a show so immersively in a long time.
"Hey, is Boss Sha, the Thousand-Man Slayer, really that strong? Should we go and challenge him?"
The protagonist in the TV series is uncharacteristically quick to back down at the slightest provocation.
They've already been dragged to the entrance of the Valley of Villains, and they're still thinking about going home.
He was forcibly dragged inside by his friend, and that's how he got to the exciting part.
The protagonist is timid, but he never expected that the three notorious villains of Evil Valley would also be timid.
Both sides wanted to avoid each other, which led to many comical situations.
The protagonist hides in a cave in the Valley of Villains, hoping to slip away unnoticed.
As it happened, they encountered Shen Sanqian, who was hiding in a hole.
The two exchanged a glance, then pretended to be busy with their own things.
Chen broke down in front of Hu Zhenzhen for the first time and burst into laughter.
He was amused, let alone Hu Zhenzhen.
Hu Zhenzhen's mouth was already stretched to her ears, but she didn't forget to eat, and would stuff a snack into her mouth from time to time.
During commercial breaks, she would pick up her tablet and browse Weibo.
This is hilarious! It's been so long since I've seen a sitcom!
[Beautiful! I love watching it! Take more pictures!]
Even the theme song is so good, I'm totally in love! I predict this will be another blockbuster!
Seeing the online reviews finally put Hu Zhenzhen at ease.
It was only after being reminded by the comments that she remembered she hadn't done any promotion, so she quickly posted a Weibo post.
Many people have praised the song, and by the way, the song is also sung by an artist from our company; the group's name is Sanshan Yue.
The online community also quietly jumped on the bandwagon when the TV series became a trending topic.
Theme song "潇洒" (Xiaosai), sung by @三山月
Once the hype started, people who were going to listen to Sanshanyue's albums started hiding away.
Just then, Su Zhao, the senior student, was recording a variety show.
The show "Born to Sing" on Xigua TV has been generating buzz for a long time, and the singers in the first episode have whetted the audience's appetite, making them extremely excited.
In addition, the challengers who appear in each episode are also a major highlight.
Su Zhaozheng is a singer in the second episode.
He had just come off the stage, and with a smile on his face, he opened his phone, saw Hu Zhenzhen's Weibo post, and without much thought, forwarded it.
I listened to the recording of "Three Mountains Moon" when it was being recorded, and it was incredibly beautiful!
Su Zhao's Weibo followers also surpassed eight million a couple of days ago, which is when he has the most active followers.
With his promotion, quite a few of his fans actually went to listen to Sanshanyue's songs.
Given the song's high quality, many people clicked the download button and added this dashing song to their playlists.
Hu Zhenzhen saw it and even gave Su Zhao a thumbs up.
Soon, the second episode of Evil Valley aired, and Hu Zhenzhen quickly looked away from Weibo.
That night, "Valley of Villains" became a huge hit.
Similarly, Jianghu Film and Television also proved the vow Hu Zhenzhen made back then.
We only produce high-quality dramas, and we don't fool the audience.
Her remarks at Vanity Fair were screenshotted by netizens and turned into memes, which made her trend on social media again.
So much time has passed, and things have changed.
Even though the organizer, Yinli Company, went bankrupt and could no longer host the Fame and Fortune Show, Hu Zhenzhen lived up to her words and truly put her heart into making high-quality dramas.
In an instant, the reputation of Jianghu Film and Television reached new heights because of this incident.
[Look for Jianghu Films; I'll definitely watch their dramas from now on!]
[As expected of Sister Hu, she always does what she says!]
[This is great, it feels like I'm back in my childhood, with great TV shows to watch as soon as I turn on the TV.]
[Waaah, it's not enough! Sister Hu, can you please make a couple more dramas? The kids don't have enough to watch!]
A golden cup or a silver cup is not as good as the audience's word of mouth.
To date, Jianghu Films has not won any awards for its productions, but in the eyes of the audience, it is already a television drama company they trust.
This is something that money can't buy.
Mr. Li, the general manager of Zhongnan Film and Television, is also watching "Villain Valley".
He and Hu Zhenzhen were both leaders of the Clear Sky Project, and he believed that his company was doing quite well.
However, after seeing the trending comments about Jianghu Films, he couldn't help but light a cigarette.
This is a scene that hasn't been seen in many years.
Surprisingly, a film and television company became popular because it consistently produced high-quality dramas.
How long ago was the last time something like this happened?
Mr. Li could hardly recall it.
It seems that when he first entered the industry, there was a company that consistently did this.
Unfortunately, that company flopped two shows midway through, losing too much money, and couldn't continue operating after that.
He thought about it for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more interesting he found this Mr. Hu.
"I really can't figure out Mr. Hu's approach."
He sighed and stubbed out his cigarette.
But one thing he's certain of is that the trend of Jianghu film and television is inevitable. At least for the next three years, in the TV drama industry, if Hu Zhenzhen claims to be second, no one will dare to say they are first.
Otherwise, they'll just have to face the ridicule and sarcasm of the audience.
To have built the company to this level in such a short time, Mr. Hu is truly a genius.
Fortunately, he had established a good relationship with this prodigy beforehand.
Mr. Li turned on his computer and watched the episode of Evil Valley with subtitles again.
Most of the bullet comments on TV dramas are purchased in bulk by the company.
But Mr. Li could tell that Hu Zhenzhen had definitely not spent any money on this.
Every single comment is posted by a real viewer, yet their total number rivals that of TV dramas that buy their own comments.
That's terrifying.
Given such an opponent, does Zhongnan Film & Television really have a chance of winning?
President Li didn't want to think about this problem because, apart from being Hu Zhenzhen's enemy, he had a simpler way.
If you can't beat her, then join her.
He unlocked his phone, found Hu Zhenzhen's number, coughed lightly, and dialed the number.
"Hey Mr. Hu, do you have some time lately? I'd like to invite you to a casual meal and discuss some cooperation opportunities."
"Of course I mean it. I hope Mr. Hu will do me the honor of giving me the opportunity to cooperate."
After saying a few more words, a smile finally appeared on Mr. Li's face.
"Then it's settled. I've booked a restaurant for Wednesday evening. Send it to your secretary."
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