Shang Yechu picked up several gifts and examined them closely.
The roast duck and cooked food are wrapped together, making a perfect dinner. This gift is just right.
Cute little toys... Shang Yechu used to look forward to these toys when she was a child, but now she has no interest in them at all.
The trendy clothes were of good quality for the commercial street, but for Shang Yechu, they were cheap. If she wore them out, the media would laugh at her.
Most of these gifts were useless.
Shang Yechu suddenly remembered the first time she left Xingfu Commercial Street, she was also carrying large bags and bundles of things, all parting gifts from the neighbors. How touched and happy she was then!
In just over a year, the same gift had become outdated, and Shang Yechu's heart was as still as stagnant water, no longer feeling the same way as before.
Her fingertips touched the gift wrapping, making a rustling sound. A voice, caught in the noise, appeared in Shang Yechu's mind:
"Why don't you tell them that if this movie is successful, it might bring business to Happiness Commercial Street?"
Shang Yechu chuckled softly: "It's probably better not to give others too much hope."
103 then fell silent.
For some reason, Shang Yechu suddenly felt a little sad. This sadness came out of nowhere, much like a drop of rain suddenly falling on a cloudless sky.
Shang Yechu bent down, burying her head in the space formed by her thighs and hands. She thought she would cry, but after waiting for a long time, the tears did not come as expected. It was as if her tear ducts had dried up.
She can cry her heart out in any scene, but when she's truly heartbroken, she can't cry.
————
The contract between Xingfu Commercial Street and Qingping Entertainment has been signed.
To prevent Qingping Entertainment's "scenery fee" from slipping away, the merchants on the street set extremely harsh conditions for themselves. Even Ji Juntao clicked his tongue in disapproval after reading their draft contracts, lamenting that he had been too kind.
To demonstrate the magnanimity of Qingping Entertainment, Ji Juntao stated that if the merchants can fully comply with the contract, they will receive a 10% subsidy for the filming fees after the film's run ends.
The merchants were overjoyed and practically hailed Ji Juntao as a living saint.
Of course, Shang Yechu played a crucial role in all of this, contributing her efforts and involvement. Among the merchants on Xingfu Commercial Street, Shang Yechu was considered a great bodhisattva, and Ji Juntao a second-best. Even Aunt Cai, who drove the car, was given the title of "attendant servant."
While busy with the contract, Shang Yechu certainly didn't forget about getting Sheng Wenzhi to agree to revise the script. It's no exaggeration to say that persuading Sheng Wenzhi alone was more difficult than convincing all the neighbors on the commercial street.
Shang Yechu drafted several plans on paper, and even wrote down and memorized the lines. But when he stood in front of Sheng Wenzhi, he couldn't say anything and could only say something else to make excuses.
Shang Yechu even consulted Ji Juntao, hoping the psychology master would give her some valuable advice. But Ji Juntao clearly stated that from a psychological perspective, Shang Yechu's idea of persuading Sheng Wenzhi was simply a pipe dream.
Life is just one problem after another.
Besides, casting is also a difficult task. The actors originally cast for Shang Yechu were basically all scrapped after the character design was drastically changed. These past few days, Gu Wenhua has been frantically trying to recast the roles.
"Half a Day" is set to air in a month, and Ji Juntao is currently negotiating publicity matters with the production team and planning a promotional strategy. There are also various contracts for filming "Rules Street," contracts with investors, and other arrangements to be made…
Qingping Entertainment has turned into a spinning top. Shang Yechu, Ji Juntao, and Gu Wenhua are even busier than during the filming and promotional period of "The Mute Woman." The first thing they say when they meet every day isn't "Have you eaten?" but rather "How's the progress?"
Problems always need to be solved.
Thinking of the stone soup, the villagers, the beggar, and Sheng Wenzhi, Shang Yechu drove all the way to Xingfu Commercial Street.
The deposits have already been transferred to the merchants' accounts. Since receiving the news of the refund, the neighbors have never seen such a large sum of money. Everyone's face is now beaming with smiles.
The meeting was still held at the barbecue restaurant. In the sweltering summer heat, the neighbors, dressed in tank tops and shorts, sat on small plastic stools, waiting for Shang Yechu to begin his instructions.
The summer heat hadn't yet reached its peak. Shang Yechu sat on a slightly higher stool, looking down at the neighbors, and smiled: "I've come today to tell you all some good news!"
"What good news?" the neighbors asked all at once.
"The film crew needs set design," Shang Yechu said. "President Ji heard that business in our neighborhood isn't doing well, so he was thinking of helping to advertise our neighborhood in the movie."
That's really great news!
For the neighbors, making a movie is the same as being on TV. And if they're on TV, then everyone in the country can see it.
This must be an incredibly big advertisement!
After filming wrapped, the residents would likely stay on the streets for another six months, trying to earn as much as they could.
Uncle Ke asked anxiously, "You don't need our money, right?"
This is what merchants care about most.
"No. It's free," Shang Yechu laughed. "But everyone has to come up with their own advertising copy; the production team doesn't cover that. And we might not even get selected. It's all up to everyone's willingness."
Most people are quite interested in something that's free. The merchants immediately showed excitement: "How do we write it?"
Shang Yechu simply stood up from the high stool: "Well... everyone can think about it carefully. Write down your shop's specialties, features, products, advantages, and even shop rules—or the differences and rules between your shop and others. The more you write, the better. The more you write, the more likely you are to be selected."
Everyone was stunned. Aunt Meng said bluntly, "Xiao Ye, could you repeat what you just said? I didn't hear you clearly."
Shang Yechu simply took out her phone, transcribed her words into text, and posted them in the "Loving and Happy Street" forum.
"I'll give you three days to write all this down on paper." Shang Yechu waved her phone. "Three days later, we'll have another meeting at this store to summarize everything."
————
Shang Yechu originally intended to go straight home from Xingfu Commercial Street, but remembering that Ji Juntao had been discharged from the hospital, she decided to go to the company to see her.
Unfortunately, Ji Juntao had already left. Shang Yechu could only return to her office to rest for a while.
Shang Yechu's office and lounge at Qingping Entertainment's headquarters are the largest, and normally no one except Shang Yechu and the cleaning lady can enter. To be precise, no one dares to enter.
This period of time has been so tiring. Shang Yechu slumped on the sofa, her mind filled with thoughts of stones...stones...villagers...the script.
The indoor air conditioning was at a perfect temperature, and Shang Yechu felt a little drowsy. She had a short meeting with Ji Juntao and Gu Wenhua last night, arguing until 3 a.m. Mental exhaustion makes one more prone to sleepiness than physical exhaustion.
"Bang!"
A loud bang startled Shang Yechu from her half-asleep state. She rubbed her heart, which had almost been shattered, and sat up straight, looking at the uninvited guest who had suddenly barged into the room.
The newcomer was quite young, wearing a cowboy baseball cap. His features, though somewhat youthful, were already quite handsome, exuding a roguish and mischievous charm. He was the kind of bad boy that young girls adored these days.
Of course, this didn't include Shang Yechu. Shang Yechu felt like her heart valves were about to shatter, so she naturally didn't give the newcomer a friendly look.
"Zhuang Sheng?" Shang Yechu frowned. "What are you doing?"
There were six alarms installed in Shang Yechu's office, not just one. Ji Juntao personally supervised their installation.
Shang Yechu once mocked Ji Juntao for being overly worried: If thugs can beat up the headquarters, she, as the boss, might as well quit doing nothing and just commit seppuku to atone for her sins.
But now, Shang Yechu suddenly felt that the alarm was necessary. Because Zhuang Sheng's expression looked quite terrifying, like he could eat people.
Although Shang Yechu's fighting skills were quite good, it would be best to avoid any negative news about her getting into fights right before filming started. She slowly moved her hand to the side of the sofa—there was an alarm there.
Zhuang Sheng glared at Shang Yechu and shouted in a tone that was a mixture of grievance and anger, "Sister Ye! Didn't you say you'd choose me for the 'Rules General Store' project? Why did you kick me out and replace me with someone else?"
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